Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khafji and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $674 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khafji, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$674
/mo nomad
Riyadh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,738
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khafji 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 Khafji and in Riyadh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Khafji versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

  • Khafji $674
  • Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,058 in Khafji versus $2,587 in Riyadh.

  • Khafji $1,058
  • Riyadh $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Khafji versus $3,437 in Riyadh.

  • Khafji $1,443
  • Riyadh $3,437

Living in Khafji costs roughly 61% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Khafji is 51% below, Riyadh is 28% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.24 SAR 12.15
$8.09 SAR 30.37
-59.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.45 SAR 129
$65.3 SAR 245
-47.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.96 SAR 18.62
$8.18 SAR 30.68
-39.36%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 SAR 3.40
$2.16 SAR 8.12
-57.87%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 SAR 5.93
$2.97 SAR 11.16
-46.80%
Cappuccino
$2.87 SAR 10.76
$4.30 SAR 16.13
-33.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 SAR 2.95
$0.85 SAR 3.18
-7.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 SAR 0.77
$0.30 SAR 1.12
-30.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 SAR 6.56
$1.83 SAR 6.85
-4.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 SAR 4.78
$1.31 SAR 4.93
-3.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 SAR 7.37
$2.37 SAR 8.88
-17.30%
Eggs
$2.12 SAR 7.96
$3.04 SAR 11.41
-30.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 SAR 28.21
$10.77 SAR 40.40
-30.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.80 SAR 29.26
$9.38 SAR 35.17
-16.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.98 SAR 48.69
$14.98 SAR 56.2
-13.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.61
$2.85 SAR 10.70
-19.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 SAR 6.21
$1.90 SAR 7.13
-12.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 SAR 6.14
$2.47 SAR 9.25
-33.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 SAR 6.05
$1.71 SAR 6.43
-5.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 SAR 4.17
$1.18 SAR 4.43
-5.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 SAR 4.54
$1.28 SAR 4.82
-5.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 SAR 4.81
$1.78 SAR 6.69
-28.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 SAR 2.21
$0.58 SAR 2.16
1.72%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.25 SAR 15.95
$8.15 SAR 30.58
-47.85%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 SAR 5.60
$1.82 SAR 6.83
-18.13%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 SAR 8.12
$2.47 SAR 9.28
-12.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.68 SAR 28.82
$7.85 SAR 29.45
-2.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.04 SAR 3.91
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$38.07 SAR 143
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 SAR 10.26
$3.13 SAR 11.74
-12.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 SAR 9.89
$1.91 SAR 7.16
38.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.27 SAR 49.79
$13.31 SAR 49.91
-0.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 SAR 2.29
$0.60 SAR 2.26
1.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K SAR 110.5K
$26.2K SAR 98.2K
12.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K SAR 80.4K
$22.2K SAR 83.4K
-3.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SAR 490
$108 SAR 403
21.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.28 SAR 121
$29.62 SAR 111
8.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.6 SAR 235
$71.0 SAR 266
-11.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$83.0 SAR 311
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$57.3 SAR 215
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.20 SAR 49.54
$13.31 SAR 49.94
-0.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$136 SAR 510
$554 SAR 2,077
-75.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 SAR 14.7K
$10.1K SAR 37.8K
-61.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.57 SAR 160
$57.7 SAR 216
-26.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.96 SAR 187
$54.4 SAR 204
-8.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 SAR 364
$104 SAR 391
-6.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.8 SAR 337
$105 SAR 393
-14.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$664 SAR 2,492
$1,149 SAR 4,310
-42.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$833 SAR 3,127
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,166 SAR 8,125
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,276 SAR 4,786
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,779 SAR 10.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,718 SAR 6,443
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khafji
Riyadh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,052 SAR 7,699
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.54
6.50%

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

Last update for Khafji: October 26, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
$225
Riyadh
$208 7.7% $17
Groceries & Markets
Khafji
$201
Riyadh
$241 20.1% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
$126
Riyadh
$144 14.9% $19
Eating Out
Khafji
$79
Riyadh
$145 83.8% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
$26 *
Riyadh
$110 315% $83
Getting Around
Khafji
$16 *
Riyadh
$55 245% $39
Accommodation & Living
Khafji
- *
Riyadh
$833

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $664 in Khafji and $1,149 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34 in Khafji vs $65 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $241 per month, with Khafji cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Khafji
🇸🇦 Riyadh
🕒 Local time
03:12 3:12 AM
03:12 3:12 AM
Same time as Khafji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,012
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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Khafji Riyadh 460 km
From you
  • Khafji
  • 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
Khafji vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khafji cheaper than Riyadh?
Khafji is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,010 in Khafji and $2,606 in Riyadh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Khafji and Riyadh?
Rent for a central apartment: $664 in Khafji versus $1,149 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $136 in Khafji versus $554 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Khafji or in Riyadh?
Dining out is cheaper in Khafji – a meal for two runs $34 versus $65 in Riyadh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Khafji or in Riyadh?
At $674 in Khafji versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Khafji or in Riyadh?
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.

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