Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawalli and Sabah Al Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawalli: $667 a month against $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Hawalli
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Hawalli Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index

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Hawalli

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$667

/mo nomad

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hawalli and in Sabah Al Salem

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hawalli and in Sabah Al Salem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $667 per month in Hawalli vs $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Hawalli $667
Sabah Al Salem $1,406

A couple spends around $2,779 per month in Hawalli vs $2,449 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Hawalli $2,779
Sabah Al Salem $2,449

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Hawalli vs $3,492 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Hawalli $4,892
Sabah Al Salem $3,492

Hawalli is about 53% cheaper than Sabah Al Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Hawalli sits 51% below the global median, while Sabah Al Salem is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 KWD 1.51

$7.94 KWD 2.45

-38.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 KWD 19.97

$70.6 KWD 21.75

-8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 KWD 2.70

$9.09 KWD 2.80

-3.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

$3.14 KWD 0.97

0.64%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$3.14 KWD 0.97

0.32%

Cappuccino

$4.79 KWD 1.48

$6.50 KWD 2.00

-26.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 KWD 0.14

$0.47 KWD 0.14

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 KWD 0.09

$0.47 KWD 0.14

-38.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$1.93 KWD 0.60

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$1.31 KWD 0.40

16.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 KWD 0.60

$2.15 KWD 0.66

-8.84%

Eggs

$2.08 KWD 0.64

$3.00 KWD 0.93

-30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

$7.36 KWD 2.27

-57.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 KWD 1.45

$5.35 KWD 1.65

-11.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

$10.28 KWD 3.17

-68.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

$2.49 KWD 0.77

-0.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.58

$1.92 KWD 0.59

-1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KWD 0.54

$1.29 KWD 0.40

36.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$1.49 KWD 0.46

-1.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.37 KWD 0.42

-4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 KWD 0.44

$0.94 KWD 0.29

51.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 KWD 0.72

$1.58 KWD 0.49

48.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KWD 0.16

$0.50 KWD 0.15

6.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$2.85 KWD 0.88

14.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

$0.88 KWD 0.27

14.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.25 KWD 0.38

11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 KWD 0.84

$2.69 KWD 0.83

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KWD 0.26

$0.82 KWD 0.25

1.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.05 KWD 15.11

$113 KWD 34.93

-56.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 KWD 1.46

$3.34 KWD 1.03

41.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

$2.79 KWD 0.86

17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.74 KWD 4.85

$17.68 KWD 5.45

-10.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K KWD 6,484

$21.4K KWD 6,587

-1.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.3K KWD 6,246

$18.4K KWD 5,667

10.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$66.5 KWD 20.49

$38.41 KWD 11.83

73.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.61 KWD 6.97

$23.71 KWD 7.31

-4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 KWD 7.83

$39.51 KWD 12.17

-35.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 KWD 19.66

$131 KWD 40.25

-51.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.15 KWD 12.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 KWD 3.51

$11.39 KWD 3.51

0.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$299 KWD 92.1

$270 KWD 83.3

10.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,529 KWD 2,936

$7,430 KWD 2,289

28.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.80 KWD 9.80

$37.61 KWD 11.59

-15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 KWD 12.04

$39.45 KWD 12.16

-0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 KWD 30.09

$99.2 KWD 30.56

-1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 KWD 27.45

$87.6 KWD 27.00

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 KWD 246

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 KWD 166

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 KWD 535

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,238 KWD 998

$1,326 KWD 409

144.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,865 KWD 575

$2,997 KWD 923

-37.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hawalli: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Hawalli

$151 22.6%

Sabah Al Salem

$188 13.3% 24.5% $37

Eating Out

Hawalli

$126 18.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$172 12.3% 37.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Hawalli

$116 17.4%

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.5% 2.4% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hawalli

$115 17.2%

Sabah Al Salem

$102 7.2% 11.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hawalli

$87 13%

Sabah Al Salem

$153 10.9% 77.2% $67

Getting Around

Hawalli

$74 11%

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.5% 82.1% $60

Accommodation & Living

Hawalli

- * 0%

Sabah Al Salem

$538 38.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 61% higher in Sabah Al Salem, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hawalli versus $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $188 – making Hawalli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Hawalli

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

Same time as Hawalli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

164,212

92,818

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hawalli Sabah Al Salem 10 km

From you

Hawalli
Sabah Al Salem

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hawalli vs Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $667 in Hawalli, $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Hawalli and $2,109 in Sabah Al Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Sabah Al Salem, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hawalli and $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawalli, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Sabah Al Salem at $1,406. In Hawalli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sabah Al Salem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hawalli has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Hawalli to $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hawalli. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sabah Al Salem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.