Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Jeddah versus $1,166 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,851 in Jeddah versus $1,758 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,494 in Jeddah versus $2,350 in Ar-rass.

Living in Jeddah is roughly 4% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jeddah 10% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 SAR 24.92

$6.60 SAR 24.75

0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.22 SAR 147

$44.21 SAR 166

-11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 SAR 30.56

$8.18 SAR 30.67

-0.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.79

$1.68 SAR 6.30

23.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.15

$1.83 SAR 6.84

18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.59 SAR 13.47

$3.71 SAR 13.93

-3.23%

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

$0.71 SAR 2.68

$0.78 SAR 2.93

-8.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.31 SAR 1.17

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$2.36 SAR 8.84

-26.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$1.00 SAR 3.75

-9.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$1.50 SAR 5.61

48.00%

Eggs

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$3.69 SAR 13.85

-25.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 SAR 26.54

$6.75 SAR 25.30

4.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 SAR 28.98

$7.50 SAR 28.13

3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 SAR 46.57

$12.87 SAR 48.28

-3.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

$2.18 SAR 8.16

-4.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.59 SAR 5.96

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 5.99

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$1.29 SAR 4.83

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.27 SAR 4.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 SAR 4.00

$1.24 SAR 4.63

-13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$0.55 SAR 2.06

5.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.27 SAR 16.00

$2.44 SAR 9.16

75.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.41

$1.75 SAR 6.58

13.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$2.02 SAR 7.59

23.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 SAR 25.20

$6.41 SAR 24.03

4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.09 SAR 4.09

22.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 SAR 147

$39.57 SAR 148

-0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 SAR 11.87

$2.63 SAR 9.87

20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.92 SAR 7.18

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.03 SAR 56.4

$13.15 SAR 49.30

14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.58 SAR 2.18

10.34%

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

$26.1K SAR 97.9K

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

-3.01%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

-4.07%

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

$106 SAR 396

$107 SAR 402

-1.46%

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

$31.41 SAR 118

$33.09 SAR 124

-5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 SAR 260

$73.0 SAR 274

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 SAR 339

$44.27 SAR 166

103.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 SAR 171

$36.20 SAR 136

25.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 SAR 49.01

$15.94 SAR 59.8

-18.01%

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

$411 SAR 1,540

$354 SAR 1,327

16.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 SAR 24.2K

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

-6.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 SAR 241

$21.12 SAR 79.2

204.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 SAR 215

$61.1 SAR 229

-6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$78.2 SAR 293

22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 SAR 318

$82.6 SAR 310

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 SAR 1,846

$435 SAR 1,631

13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$382 SAR 1,431

0.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 SAR 3,475

$385 SAR 1,444

140.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 SAR 2,269

$634 SAR 2,377

-4.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,585 SAR 5,942

$2,374 SAR 8,901

-33.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 SAR 3,807

$1,509 SAR 5,661

-32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,024 SAR 7,588

$1,724 SAR 6,465

17.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.42

1.81%

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

Last update for Jeddah: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Jeddah and $435 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeddah pays 17% 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: $39.00 in Jeddah vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $204 per month, with Jeddah cheaper across the board.

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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeddah and Ar-rass differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $1,166 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Jeddah pays 17% more on average, 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: $492 in Jeddah versus $435 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Jeddah versus $354 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jeddah pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,207 in Jeddah, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Jeddah. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Jeddah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.