Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,739 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,562 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,521 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,172 in Khamis Mushayt versus $3,304 in Riyadh.

Living in Khamis Mushayt costs roughly 45% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Khamis Mushayt is 29% below, Riyadh is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 SAR 25.65

$8.21 SAR 30.82

-16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.60 SAR 160

$53.0 SAR 199

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 SAR 26.06

$8.11 SAR 30.45

-14.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.71 SAR 6.41

2.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

$2.23 SAR 8.37

-20.18%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SAR 20.09

$4.09 SAR 15.34

30.81%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.82

$0.71 SAR 2.66

5.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.29 SAR 1.07

-10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.68 SAR 6.30

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 SAR 1.32

$1.28 SAR 4.79

-72.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

$2.35 SAR 8.83

-18.30%

Eggs

$4.37 SAR 16.39

$2.73 SAR 10.23

60.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 SAR 24.87

$8.64 SAR 32.44

-23.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 SAR 28.78

$10.02 SAR 37.62

-23.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 SAR 57.8

$14.57 SAR 54.7

5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$2.35 SAR 8.82

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.85 SAR 6.93

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.40

$1.53 SAR 5.73

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.29 SAR 4.82

31.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.20

$1.47 SAR 5.50

-6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.67

$1.45 SAR 5.44

-13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.53 SAR 1.99

22.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.11 SAR 11.68

$8.16 SAR 30.61

-61.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-1.17%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$2.38 SAR 8.94

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$7.54 SAR 28.29

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.09 SAR 4.09

0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.19 SAR 151

$36.73 SAR 138

9.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

$3.28 SAR 12.29

-19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

$1.85 SAR 6.95

9.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.45 SAR 50.5

$13.49 SAR 50.6

-0.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.63 SAR 2.36

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

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

$34.1K SAR 128.0K

-22.28%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

-4.28%

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

$106 SAR 399

$104 SAR 391

1.97%

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

$34.38 SAR 129

$34.25 SAR 129

0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 SAR 268

$77.0 SAR 289

-7.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 SAR 336

$105 SAR 394

-14.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 SAR 133

$58.3 SAR 219

-39.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 SAR 58.6

$16.17 SAR 60.7

-3.46%

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

$346 SAR 1,300

$457 SAR 1,716

-24.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,039 SAR 26.4K

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

-27.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 SAR 221

$59.5 SAR 223

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SAR 228

$64.1 SAR 241

-5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$107 SAR 400

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$100 SAR 376

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 SAR 597

$1,072 SAR 4,023

-85.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 SAR 404

$841 SAR 3,158

-87.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 SAR 1,523

$2,027 SAR 7,608

-79.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,059

$1,090 SAR 4,092

-74.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,505 SAR 9,402

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

-18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,144 SAR 4,294

$1,931 SAR 7,246

-40.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 SAR 6,078

$2,252 SAR 8,452

-28.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.31

-16.76%

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

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: June 2, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Khamis Mushayt and $1,072 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 39% 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: $43.00 in Khamis Mushayt vs $53.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $226 per month, with Khamis Mushayt 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

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

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Riyadh earns 39% 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: $159 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,072 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 9% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $346 in Khamis Mushayt versus $457 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,739 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $952 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Khamis Mushayt and Riyadh 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 83% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.