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: $1,224 in Jeddah versus $1,171 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,836 in Jeddah versus $1,786 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Jeddah versus $2,400 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 9% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 SAR 24.85

$6.85 SAR 25.69

-3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.31 SAR 148

$43.87 SAR 165

-10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 SAR 30.24

$7.89 SAR 29.59

2.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 SAR 7.77

$1.78 SAR 6.69

16.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

$1.75 SAR 6.58

18.29%

Cappuccino

$3.80 SAR 14.25

$3.65 SAR 13.68

4.11%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.61

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.31 SAR 1.17

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

$2.34 SAR 8.80

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$1.01 SAR 3.80

-5.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$1.56 SAR 5.85

44.23%

Eggs

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$3.56 SAR 13.37

-23.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 SAR 27.14

$6.89 SAR 25.86

4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 SAR 29.48

$7.64 SAR 28.66

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 SAR 47.31

$12.85 SAR 48.21

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$2.16 SAR 8.10

-2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$1.63 SAR 6.12

-2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.72

$1.56 SAR 5.85

-1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.25 SAR 4.69

2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 SAR 4.54

$1.27 SAR 4.76

-4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.24 SAR 4.66

-14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$0.56 SAR 2.10

-3.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.22 SAR 15.83

$2.40 SAR 8.99

75.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.41

$1.77 SAR 6.64

11.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.34

$2.10 SAR 7.87

18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SAR 25.73

$6.42 SAR 24.10

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$1.09 SAR 4.10

18.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.47 SAR 148

$40.24 SAR 151

-1.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 SAR 11.92

$2.69 SAR 10.10

18.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$1.88 SAR 7.07

2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 SAR 56.2

$13.18 SAR 49.46

13.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$0.60 SAR 2.24

3.33%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.7K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

1.16%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

-4.93%

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

$108 SAR 406

$107 SAR 401

1.36%

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

$31.68 SAR 119

$34.28 SAR 129

-7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 SAR 262

$72.7 SAR 273

-4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.9 SAR 330

$44.14 SAR 166

99.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.28 SAR 170

$36.14 SAR 136

25.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 SAR 49.69

$15.61 SAR 58.6

-15.18%

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

$410 SAR 1,539

$350 SAR 1,311

17.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,604 SAR 24.8K

$7,049 SAR 26.5K

-6.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 SAR 238

$20.95 SAR 78.6

202.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 SAR 222

$61.0 SAR 229

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 SAR 348

$78.4 SAR 294

18.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 SAR 311

$81.4 SAR 305

1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 SAR 1,869

$434 SAR 1,627

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,437

$387 SAR 1,454

-1.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 SAR 3,387

$379 SAR 1,421

138.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 SAR 2,255

$628 SAR 2,358

-4.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,623 SAR 6,091

$2,384 SAR 8,946

-31.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,014 SAR 3,804

$1,325 SAR 4,971

-23.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,652 SAR 6,199

$1,719 SAR 6,452

-3.92%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Jeddah and $434 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Jeddah vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $205 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 ($1,224 vs $1,171 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Jeddah versus $434 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $410 in Jeddah versus $350 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 $1,171 in Ar-rass versus $1,224 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.