Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,190 a month against $1,378 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
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Jeddah Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

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Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,378

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeddah and in Ad Dammam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Jeddah versus $1,190 in Ad Dammam.

Jeddah $1,378
Ad Dammam $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,155 in Jeddah versus $1,818 in Ad Dammam.

Jeddah $2,155
Ad Dammam $1,818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Jeddah versus $2,445 in Ad Dammam.

Jeddah $2,931
Ad Dammam $2,445

Living in Jeddah is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeddah is 2% above, Ad Dammam is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 SAR 22.46

$7.10 SAR 26.64

-15.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 SAR 298

$34.39 SAR 129

131.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 SAR 35.64

$6.49 SAR 24.35

46.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$1.81 SAR 6.79

34.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.71

$2.32 SAR 8.69

11.64%

Cappuccino

$3.69 SAR 13.86

$3.10 SAR 11.65

19.03%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$0.72 SAR 2.70

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.17 SAR 0.63

41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.73 SAR 6.49

1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.27 SAR 4.78

3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$1.94 SAR 7.30

18.04%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.04

$2.18 SAR 8.19

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 SAR 23.77

$7.22 SAR 27.11

-12.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 SAR 31.41

$7.76 SAR 29.11

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 SAR 48.42

$12.64 SAR 47.43

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

$2.18 SAR 8.20

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.72 SAR 6.44

1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.76

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.28

$1.61 SAR 6.03

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 SAR 4.18

$1.12 SAR 4.20

-0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.21 SAR 4.55

6.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 SAR 4.17

$1.27 SAR 4.76

-12.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.88

$0.60 SAR 2.27

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.51

$4.13 SAR 15.50

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.47 SAR 5.50

19.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$2.22 SAR 8.32

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 SAR 24.19

$7.84 SAR 29.40

-17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$0.90 SAR 3.39

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 SAR 208

$35.84 SAR 134

54.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 SAR 12.02

$2.63 SAR 9.86

21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$2.74 SAR 10.26

-37.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 SAR 51.9

$13.48 SAR 50.6

2.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$0.61 SAR 2.29

-1.64%

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

$37.7K SAR 141.6K

$29.0K SAR 108.6K

30.33%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.4K

$21.3K SAR 80.0K

0.44%

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

$90.6 SAR 340

$128 SAR 482

-29.44%

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

$38.03 SAR 143

$33.38 SAR 125

13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 SAR 254

$63.4 SAR 238

6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 SAR 298

$77.9 SAR 292

2.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.33 SAR 144

$28.70 SAR 108

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 SAR 45.51

$13.07 SAR 49.06

-7.19%

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

$773 SAR 2,901

$423 SAR 1,587

82.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K SAR 61.9K

$7,888 SAR 29.6K

109.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 SAR 281

$41.81 SAR 157

78.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 SAR 216

$49.79 SAR 187

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SAR 376

$94.8 SAR 356

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 SAR 349

$91.5 SAR 343

1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 SAR 3,019

$580 SAR 2,178

38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 SAR 2,003

$364 SAR 1,365

46.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 SAR 5,221

$982 SAR 3,687

41.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 SAR 3,157

$661 SAR 2,479

27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,724 SAR 6,467

$1,377 SAR 5,168

25.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 SAR 4,380

$601 SAR 2,254

94.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 SAR 6,190

$1,517 SAR 5,694

8.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.9

-8.64%

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

Last update for Jeddah: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeddah

$534 38.7%

Ad Dammam

$364 30.6% 31.8% $170

Groceries & Markets

Jeddah

$201 14.6%

Ad Dammam

$199 16.7% 0.9% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeddah

$196 14.2%

Ad Dammam

$225 18.9% 14.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Jeddah

$147 10.6%

Ad Dammam

$125 10.5% 14.7% $22

Eating Out

Jeddah

$126 9.1%

Ad Dammam

$117 9.8% 7% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Jeddah

$104 7.5%

Ad Dammam

$104 8.7% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Jeddah

$71 5.2%

Ad Dammam

$56 4.7% 21.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $804 in Jeddah and $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeddah pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Jeddah vs $34.00 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $199 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Jeddah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,430,697

903,312

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jeddah Ad Dammam 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeddah
Ad Dammam

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

Jeddah vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Jeddah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Jeddah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $804 in Jeddah versus $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,378 per month in Jeddah versus $1,190 in Ad Dammam – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 55% less than in Jeddah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,190 in Ad Dammam versus $1,378 in Jeddah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Jeddah. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jeddah and Ad Dammam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Jeddah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.