Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Dhahran

For one person, living costs are similar in Jeddah and in Dhahran: $1,395 and $1,373 a month, rent and utilities included.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
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Jeddah Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index

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Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,395

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeddah and in Dhahran

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 Dhahran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,395 per month in Jeddah vs $1,373 in Dhahran, rent included.

Jeddah $1,395
Dhahran $1,373

A couple spends around $2,167 per month in Jeddah vs $1,761 in Dhahran, rent included.

Jeddah $2,167
Dhahran $1,761

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Jeddah vs $2,149 in Dhahran, rent included.

Jeddah $2,940
Dhahran $2,149

Jeddah and Dhahran have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 SAR 23.10

$5.41 SAR 20.31

13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 SAR 299

$39.83 SAR 149

99.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 SAR 36.03

$6.46 SAR 24.24

48.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$1.92 SAR 7.19

21.35%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SAR 9.96

$1.62 SAR 6.09

64.20%

Cappuccino

$3.78 SAR 14.18

$3.82 SAR 14.35

-1.05%

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

$1.07 SAR 4.01

$0.69 SAR 2.57

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.20 SAR 0.75

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.56 SAR 5.86

12.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$0.94 SAR 3.51

41.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 SAR 8.47

$1.99 SAR 7.47

13.57%

Eggs

$2.48 SAR 9.32

$3.91 SAR 14.67

-36.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 SAR 24.47

$8.66 SAR 32.50

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 SAR 30.09

$11.22 SAR 42.12

-28.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 SAR 48.70

$13.79 SAR 51.7

-5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$2.09 SAR 7.83

0.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.27

$1.44 SAR 5.40

15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

$1.81 SAR 6.81

-14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.28

$1.75 SAR 6.58

-4.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.37

$1.47 SAR 5.53

-20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$0.97 SAR 3.63

30.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 SAR 4.17

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-43.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$0.85 SAR 3.17

-36.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.24 SAR 15.90

$4.72 SAR 17.69

-10.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.63 SAR 6.13

12.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

$2.41 SAR 9.03

4.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.72

$5.51 SAR 20.68

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 SAR 3.34

$0.90 SAR 3.37

-1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 SAR 207

$55.6 SAR 208

-0.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 SAR 11.79

$1.37 SAR 5.15

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

$3.30 SAR 12.38

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 SAR 51.7

$9.26 SAR 34.75

48.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.63 SAR 2.38

1.59%

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

$38.9K SAR 145.9K

$36.3K SAR 136.4K

6.97%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

0.24%

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

$91.3 SAR 342

$61.2 SAR 230

49.07%

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

$38.64 SAR 145

$43.31 SAR 163

-10.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 SAR 251

$65.9 SAR 247

1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 SAR 261

$195 SAR 733

-64.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.79 SAR 146

$95.1 SAR 357

-59.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 SAR 44.58

$10.51 SAR 39.44

13.04%

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

$786 SAR 2,951

$66.2 SAR 248

1088.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K SAR 62.3K

$13.6K SAR 51.0K

22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 SAR 280

$50.7 SAR 190

46.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 SAR 210

$42.77 SAR 161

31.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SAR 378

$77.0 SAR 289

30.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 SAR 359

$90.4 SAR 339

5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 SAR 3,048

$366 SAR 1,375

121.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 SAR 2,093

$449 SAR 1,683

24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 SAR 4,933

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$863 SAR 3,237

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 SAR 6,335

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 SAR 4,094

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,691 SAR 6,346

$2,804 SAR 10.5K

-39.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.5

19.78%

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

Last update for Jeddah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeddah

$558 40%

Dhahran

$449 32.7% 19.6% $109

Groceries & Markets

Jeddah

$200 14.4%

Dhahran

$232 16.9% 15.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeddah

$197 14.1%

Dhahran

$170 12.4% 13.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Jeddah

$147 10.6%

Dhahran

$117 8.6% 20.2% $30

Eating Out

Jeddah

$129 9.2%

Dhahran

$112 8.2% 12.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Jeddah

$93 6.7%

Dhahran

$216 15.8% 132% $123

Getting Around

Jeddah

$71 5.1%

Dhahran

$77 5.6% 9.1% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Jeddah versus $366 in Dhahran. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 66% higher in Dhahran. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Jeddah versus $40 in Dhahran. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Jeddah vs $232 in Dhahran – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

Same time as Jeddah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,430,697

120,521

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jeddah Dhahran 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeddah
Dhahran

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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,092 per month in Jeddah and $2,060 in Dhahran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $366 there versus $812 in Jeddah.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Jeddah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Jeddah and $40 in Dhahran. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,395 in Jeddah and $1,373 in Dhahran. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Dhahran – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.