Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Khamis Mushayt: $1,207 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Khamis Mushayt
Learn more

Khamis Mushayt Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Khamis Mushayt

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,207

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khamis Mushayt and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Khamis Mushayt $1,207
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Khamis Mushayt versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Khamis Mushayt $1,692
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Khamis Mushayt versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Khamis Mushayt $2,176
Dubai $5,872

Living in Khamis Mushayt costs roughly 58% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Khamis Mushayt is 11% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 SAR 16.97

$12.67 AED 46.55

-64.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.95 SAR 120

$81.7 AED 300

-60.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 SAR 26.36

$9.34 AED 34.30

-24.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SAR 9.69

Cappuccino

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$5.89 AED 21.62

-50.59%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$1.69 AED 6.20

-59.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.87

$0.78 AED 2.86

-70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SAR 6.06

$1.84 AED 6.78

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 SAR 1.43

$1.50 AED 5.50

-74.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 SAR 12.15

$2.57 AED 9.45

26.07%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.03

$3.32 AED 12.18

-27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 SAR 23.24

$12.60 AED 46.28

-50.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 SAR 20.98

$9.66 AED 35.46

-42.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$12.78 AED 46.93

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.02

$2.60 AED 9.54

-17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.90 AED 6.99

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$1.91 AED 7.02

-16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$1.37 AED 5.02

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

$1.13 AED 4.14

3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.01

$1.01 AED 3.71

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

$1.44 AED 5.30

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.67 AED 2.48

-20.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$5.88 AED 21.59

16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.60 AED 5.87

-32.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.06 SAR 158

$76.0 AED 279

-44.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$3.24 AED 11.91

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$0.71 AED 2.61

142.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.65 SAR 55.0

$7.96 AED 29.22

84.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.98 AED 3.62

-34.69%

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

$41.8K SAR 156.9K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

52.65%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

1.71%

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

$105 SAR 395

$249 AED 913

-57.59%

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

$32.67 SAR 123

$54.4 AED 200

-39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 SAR 271

$91.5 AED 336

-20.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.6 SAR 306

$103 AED 380

-21.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 SAR 49.43

$16.29 AED 59.8

-19.15%

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

$475 SAR 1,782

$844 AED 3,098

-43.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,865 SAR 25.8K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-62.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 SAR 169

$67.0 AED 246

-32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 SAR 189

$57.9 AED 213

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 396

$102 AED 375

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$98.7 AED 363

-15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 SAR 1,990

$2,393 AED 8,788

-77.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,594

$1,533 AED 5,630

-72.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,187

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-81.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 SAR 1,941

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-82.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,044 SAR 7,669

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-70.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,575 SAR 5,911

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-62.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,606 SAR 6,027

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.54

22.03%

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

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Khamis Mushayt

$425 35.2%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 261% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khamis Mushayt

$210 17.4%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 87.5% $184

Groceries & Markets

Khamis Mushayt

$182 15.1%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 59.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Khamis Mushayt

$128 10.6%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Khamis Mushayt

$108 8.9%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 26% $28

Eating Out

Khamis Mushayt

$96 7.9%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 218% $209

Getting Around

Khamis Mushayt

$58 4.8%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 54.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Khamis Mushayt and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 115% 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: $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $292 per month, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Khamis Mushayt

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

1 h ahead of Khamis Mushayt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

430,828

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Khamis Mushayt Dubai 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Khamis Mushayt
Dubai

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

Khamis Mushayt vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Dubai. 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: $530 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 81% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Khamis Mushayt versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khamis Mushayt is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Khamis Mushayt and Dubai 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.