Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuwait City and Sabah Al Salem

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuwait City and in Sabah Al Salem: $1,460 and $1,406 a month, rent and utilities included.

71

Cost of Living Index in Kuwait City
Learn more

Kuwait City Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
Learn more

Sabah Al Salem Living Index

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Kuwait City

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,460

/mo nomad

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuwait City and in Sabah Al Salem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,460 in Kuwait City versus $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem.

Kuwait City $1,460
Sabah Al Salem $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Kuwait City versus $2,449 in Sabah Al Salem.

Kuwait City $2,418
Sabah Al Salem $2,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,377 in Kuwait City versus $3,492 in Sabah Al Salem.

Kuwait City $3,377
Sabah Al Salem $3,492

Living in Kuwait City is roughly 4% more expensive than in Sabah Al Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kuwait City 8% above, Sabah Al Salem 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.70 KWD 3.91

$7.94 KWD 2.45

59.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 KWD 19.72

$70.6 KWD 21.75

-9.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 KWD 2.69

$9.09 KWD 2.80

-4.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 KWD 0.99

$3.14 KWD 0.97

1.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 KWD 1.48

$3.14 KWD 0.97

52.87%

Cappuccino

$5.05 KWD 1.56

$6.50 KWD 2.00

-22.31%

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

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$0.47 KWD 0.14

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$0.47 KWD 0.14

-34.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 KWD 0.50

$1.93 KWD 0.60

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 KWD 0.47

$1.31 KWD 0.40

15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 KWD 0.58

$2.15 KWD 0.66

-12.09%

Eggs

$2.05 KWD 0.63

$3.00 KWD 0.93

-31.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 KWD 1.35

$7.36 KWD 2.27

-40.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 KWD 2.10

$5.35 KWD 1.65

27.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 KWD 3.12

$10.28 KWD 3.17

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

$2.49 KWD 0.77

-0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 KWD 0.59

$1.92 KWD 0.59

-0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 KWD 0.57

$1.29 KWD 0.40

41.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 KWD 0.48

$1.49 KWD 0.46

3.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 KWD 0.40

$1.37 KWD 0.42

-5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$0.94 KWD 0.29

56.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 KWD 0.72

$1.58 KWD 0.49

48.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 KWD 0.18

$0.50 KWD 0.15

16.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$2.85 KWD 0.88

11.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

$0.88 KWD 0.27

14.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.25 KWD 0.38

11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 KWD 0.86

$2.69 KWD 0.83

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$0.82 KWD 0.25

-4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.08 KWD 15.12

$113 KWD 34.93

-56.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 KWD 1.45

$3.34 KWD 1.03

41.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$2.79 KWD 0.86

16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.28 KWD 5.01

$17.68 KWD 5.45

-7.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$0.35 KWD 0.11

-5.71%

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

$20.6K KWD 6,339

$21.4K KWD 6,587

-3.76%

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

$20.5K KWD 6,312

$18.4K KWD 5,667

11.39%

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

$66.0 KWD 20.33

$38.41 KWD 11.83

71.78%

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

$22.04 KWD 6.79

$23.71 KWD 7.31

-7.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.31 KWD 9.34

$39.51 KWD 12.17

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 KWD 37.70

$131 KWD 40.25

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.40 KWD 9.98

$39.15 KWD 12.06

-17.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.08 KWD 3.42

$11.39 KWD 3.51

-2.72%

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

$294 KWD 90.7

$270 KWD 83.3

8.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,475 KWD 2,919

$7,430 KWD 2,289

27.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.20 KWD 11.46

$37.61 KWD 11.59

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 KWD 12.09

$39.45 KWD 12.16

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 KWD 30.50

$99.2 KWD 30.56

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 KWD 27.21

$87.6 KWD 27.00

0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 KWD 288

$798 KWD 246

16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 KWD 193

$538 KWD 166

16.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 KWD 613

$1,737 KWD 535

14.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 KWD 410

$1,326 KWD 409

0.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,313 KWD 1,637

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,328 KWD 717

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,067 KWD 637

$2,997 KWD 923

-31.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

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

Last update for Kuwait City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuwait City

$626 42.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$538 38.3% 14% $88

Eating Out

Kuwait City

$192 13.2%

Sabah Al Salem

$172 12.3% 10.3% $20

Groceries & Markets

Kuwait City

$187 12.8%

Sabah Al Salem

$188 13.3% 0.5% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Kuwait City

$145 9.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$153 10.9% 6.2% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Kuwait City

$119 8.1%

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.5% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuwait City

$118 8.1%

Sabah Al Salem

$102 7.2% 14.1% $17

Getting Around

Kuwait City

$73 5%

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.5% 83% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in Kuwait City and $798 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Kuwait City vs $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $188 per month, with Kuwait City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Kuwait City

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

Same time as Kuwait City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

637,411 Capital

92,818

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kuwait City Sabah Al Salem 17 km

From you

Kuwait City
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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

Kuwait City vs Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabah Al Salem wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kuwait City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sabah Al Salem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Sabah Al Salem. 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: $934 in Kuwait City versus $798 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,460 per month in Kuwait City versus $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sabah Al Salem runs roughly 131% less than in Kuwait City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,460 in Kuwait City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sabah Al Salem but tight or insufficient in Kuwait City. The gap between the two cities makes Sabah Al Salem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Kuwait City and Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.