Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Saudi Arabia

Name: Saudi Arabia
Address: SA

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,284 in Saudi Arabia, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Saudi Arabia
Learn more

Saudi Arabia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Saudi Arabia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $1,284 in Saudi Arabia.

India $399
Saudi Arabia $1,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,916 in Saudi Arabia.

India $639
Saudi Arabia $1,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $2,549 in Saudi Arabia.

India $879
Saudi Arabia $2,549

Internal cost variation is higher in Saudi Arabia: monthly costs span $674 to $1,738, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Saudi Arabia.

Living in India costs about 69% less than in Saudi Arabia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Saudi Arabia 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹204

$6.74 SAR 25.28

-68.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹996

$40.36 SAR 151

-74.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹362

$8.14 SAR 30.53

-53.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.95

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹160

$3.78 SAR 14.19

-55.56%

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

$0.38 ₹36.03

$0.75 SAR 2.83

-49.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.62

$0.27 SAR 1.02

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹178

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹303

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.3

$1.70 SAR 6.39

-63.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.82

$1.11 SAR 4.17

-54.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$2.21 SAR 8.30

-71.49%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$2.67 SAR 10.01

-64.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹462

$7.68 SAR 28.79

-36.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹271

$7.86 SAR 29.48

-63.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 SAR 50.4

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹191

$2.16 SAR 8.10

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.5

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-63.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.4

$1.73 SAR 6.48

-43.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.35

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-72.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.91

$1.31 SAR 4.91

-74.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.77

$1.33 SAR 4.99

-68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.44

$1.27 SAR 4.76

-62.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.71

$0.62 SAR 2.32

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.07 SAR 15.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹483

$7.32 SAR 27.44

-30.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹696

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹263

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹817

$38.07 SAR 143

-77.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.8

$2.74 SAR 10.26

-63.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.77

$2.70 SAR 10.12

-90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$13.49 SAR 50.6

-88.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.60 SAR 2.26

78.33%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$30.4K SAR 114.2K

-63.16%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

-6.58%

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

$37.08 ₹3,531

$97.9 SAR 367

-62.11%

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

$3.58 ₹341

$31.85 SAR 119

-88.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹681

$67.1 SAR 252

-89.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,428

$79.8 SAR 300

-81.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹683

$39.07 SAR 147

-81.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹304

$13.92 SAR 52.2

-77.01%

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

$58.8 ₹5,599

$458 SAR 1,718

-87.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.7K

$8,896 SAR 33.4K

-81.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,193

$48.43 SAR 182

-52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,301

$56.7 SAR 213

-57.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,923

$89.5 SAR 336

-53.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,820

$86.3 SAR 324

-65.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$641 SAR 2,404

-77.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,175

$460 SAR 1,726

-79.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$1,008 SAR 3,781

-65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.3K

$699 SAR 2,623

-66.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹112.1K

$2,013 SAR 7,551

-41.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.3K

$1,252 SAR 4,696

-49.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.9K

$1,864 SAR 6,992

-78.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

5.4

65.37%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saudi Arabia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Saudi Arabia

$206 16.1% 102% $104

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Saudi Arabia

$460 35.8% 378% $364

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Saudi Arabia

$128 10% 92.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Saudi Arabia

$126 9.9% 138% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Saudi Arabia

$197 15.3% 312% $149

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Saudi Arabia

$108 8.4% 403% $86

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Saudi Arabia

$59 4.6% 390% $47

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $556 in Saudi Arabia. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $1,149 in Riyadh.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $1,949 in Saudi Arabia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 363% higher in Saudi Arabia.

Dining out costs 264% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 375% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are about 4.7 times higher in Saudi Arabia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saudi Arabia.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

2 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

33,000,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.21 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

India Saudi Arabia 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

India
Saudi Arabia

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

India vs Saudi Arabia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $1,284 in Saudi Arabia, India comes out about 69% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $556 in Saudi Arabia and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Saudi Arabia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.