Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Saudi Arabia Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Saudi Arabia

Name: Saudi Arabia
Address: SA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Italy versus $1,158 in Saudi Arabia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,763 in Saudi Arabia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $2,368 in Saudi Arabia.

Living in Italy is roughly 55% more expensive than in Saudi Arabia on average.

Italy (30% above) and Saudi Arabia (16% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $661–$1,734 in Saudi Arabia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$6.77 SAR 25.44

213.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$39.89 SAR 150

102.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$7.77 SAR 29.17

46.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$3.65 SAR 13.71

-43.01%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$0.75 SAR 2.82

306.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.25 SAR 0.93

452.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.77 SAR 6.64

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.09 SAR 4.10

121.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.17 SAR 8.14

38.71%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.61 SAR 9.79

65.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$7.55 SAR 28.35

137.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$8.05 SAR 30.24

57.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$13.44 SAR 50.5

53.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.24 SAR 8.41

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.76 SAR 6.60

22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.69 SAR 6.35

65.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$1.68 SAR 6.32

97.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.35 SAR 5.07

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.34 SAR 5.02

41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.21 SAR 4.55

28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.58 SAR 2.18

-3.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.50

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SAR 6.25

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$7.26 SAR 27.26

-1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.09 SAR 4.09

77.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$37.33 SAR 140

21.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$2.73 SAR 10.24

110.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.65 SAR 9.95

-35.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$13.10 SAR 49.20

169.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.60 SAR 2.25

240.00%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$66.1K SAR 248.2K

-43.24%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

73.58%

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

$231 €199

$97.4 SAR 366

137.17%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$31.85 SAR 120

-61.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$68.4 SAR 257

-54.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$85.3 SAR 320

-35.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$40.65 SAR 153

-38.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$14.22 SAR 53.4

-21.73%

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

$568 €490

$427 SAR 1,602

33.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$8,940 SAR 33.6K

40.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$45.81 SAR 172

102.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$55.4 SAR 208

-28.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$88.7 SAR 333

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$86.9 SAR 326

55.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$601 SAR 2,257

41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$455 SAR 1,708

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$967 SAR 3,632

49.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$659 SAR 2,475

64.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$2,334 SAR 8,767

63.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,379 SAR 5,178

70.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$1,911 SAR 7,176

1.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.41

-34.01%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Saudi Arabia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $572 in Saudi Arabia. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $1,174 in Riyadh.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $1,952 in Saudi Arabia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 90% more in Italy.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Italy.

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

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

At $1,889 per month in Italy and $1,198 in Saudi Arabia, there's a 58% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Saudi Arabia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Saudi Arabia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Saudi Arabia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Saudi Arabia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.