Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jizan and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Jizan: $930 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jizan
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$930
/mo nomad
Riyadh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,738
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jizan and in Riyadh

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

A single person spends $930 per month in Jizan vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Jizan $930
  • Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,530 per month in Jizan vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Jizan $1,530
  • Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $2,131 per month in Jizan vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Jizan $2,131
  • Riyadh $3,396

Jizan is about 47% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jizan sits 31% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.20 SAR 19.53
$8.09 SAR 30.35
-35.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.15 SAR 139
$66.3 SAR 249
-43.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.18 SAR 26.92
$8.16 SAR 30.64
-12.01%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.69 SAR 6.34
$2.08 SAR 7.79
-18.75%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 SAR 6.91
$2.98 SAR 11.19
-38.26%
Cappuccino
$3.16 SAR 11.88
$4.25 SAR 15.96
-25.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 SAR 2.74
$0.91 SAR 3.41
-19.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 SAR 1.06
$0.32 SAR 1.20
-12.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 SAR 6.61
$1.76 SAR 6.60
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 SAR 3.53
$1.26 SAR 4.72
-25.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 SAR 8.40
$2.43 SAR 9.13
-7.82%
Eggs
$2.97 SAR 11.15
$3.13 SAR 11.76
-5.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.95 SAR 29.82
$10.69 SAR 40.11
-25.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.09 SAR 19.08
$9.44 SAR 35.41
-46.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.87 SAR 55.8
$15.19 SAR 57.0
-2.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 SAR 6.98
$2.84 SAR 10.65
-34.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 SAR 5.90
$1.96 SAR 7.36
-19.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 SAR 7.79
$2.53 SAR 9.51
-17.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.43 SAR 5.35
$1.70 SAR 6.37
-15.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$1.18 SAR 4.44
12.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 SAR 5.35
$1.28 SAR 4.81
11.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 SAR 4.75
$1.70 SAR 6.37
-25.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 SAR 2.77
$0.57 SAR 2.12
29.82%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.57 SAR 5.89
$7.83 SAR 29.38
-79.95%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 SAR 6.84
$1.80 SAR 6.77
1.11%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 SAR 5.97
$2.39 SAR 8.95
-33.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.50 SAR 24.41
$7.50 SAR 28.15
-13.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 SAR 4.03
$1.07 SAR 4.03
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.19 SAR 87.0
$37.34 SAR 140
-37.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.71 SAR 10.18
$3.11 SAR 11.69
-12.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.24 SAR 12.15
$1.81 SAR 6.79
79.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.88 SAR 59.6
$13.23 SAR 49.66
20.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 SAR 2.29
$0.65 SAR 2.44
-6.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.6K SAR 163.5K
$34.7K SAR 130.1K
25.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.6K SAR 65.9K
$22.9K SAR 85.8K
-23.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 SAR 388
$106 SAR 396
-1.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.07 SAR 139
$29.61 SAR 111
25.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.1 SAR 241
$70.7 SAR 265
-9.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.6 SAR 370
$91.6 SAR 344
7.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.70 SAR 141
$56.9 SAR 214
-33.76%
Cinema Ticket
$16.03 SAR 60.1
$13.09 SAR 49.11
22.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$199 SAR 749
$523 SAR 1,963
-61.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,125 SAR 15.5K
$10.2K SAR 38.4K
-59.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.30 SAR 121
$58.8 SAR 221
-45.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 SAR 205
$53.1 SAR 199
3.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 SAR 450
$101 SAR 379
18.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.80 SAR 176
$103 SAR 386
-54.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$262 SAR 982
$1,179 SAR 4,425
-77.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$132 SAR 494
$832 SAR 3,122
-84.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$475 SAR 1,783
$2,227 SAR 8,359
-78.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 SAR 1,353
$1,224 SAR 4,595
-70.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$805 SAR 3,019
$2,996 SAR 11.2K
-73.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,913 SAR 7,177
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jizan
Riyadh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,614 SAR 6,057
$2,067 SAR 7,757
-21.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
5.54
-9.75%

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

Last update for Jizan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jizan
$205
Riyadh
$206 0.6% $1.2
Groceries & Markets
Jizan
$197
Riyadh
$242 22.8% $45
Accommodation & Living
Jizan
$132
Riyadh
$832 531% $700
Sport & Entertainment
Jizan
$131
Riyadh
$118 9.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Jizan
$114
Riyadh
$142 24.4% $28
Eating Out
Jizan
$105
Riyadh
$145 38% $40
Getting Around
Jizan
$46
Riyadh
$54 16% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Jizan versus $1,179 in Riyadh. 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 28% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Jizan versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $242 – making Jizan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Jizan
🇸🇦 Riyadh
🕒 Local time
02:25 2:25 AM
02:25 2:25 AM
Same time as Jizan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,743
5,188,286 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jizan Riyadh 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Jizan
  • Riyadh

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
Jizan vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jizan or Riyadh?
Riyadh costs about 87% more than Jizan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Jizan and in Riyadh?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,394 per month in Jizan and $2,607 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Jizan or Riyadh?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jizan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Jizan compared to Riyadh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $930 in Jizan and $1,738 in Riyadh. That's a gap of about 87%.
How expensive is transport in Jizan compared to Riyadh?
Public transport costs about 61% less in Jizan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Jizan or in Riyadh?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jizan, where all-in costs run around $930, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Jizan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Jizan or Riyadh?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jizan costs $930 versus $1,738 in Riyadh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Jizan compared to Riyadh?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Jizan or to Riyadh?
If budget matters most, go with Jizan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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