Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuwait City and Salwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Salwa: $1,325 a month against $1,466 in Kuwait City, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Kuwait City
Learn more

Kuwait City Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Salwa
Learn more

Salwa Living Index

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Kuwait City

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,466

/mo nomad

Salwa

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuwait City and in Salwa

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 Salwa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Kuwait City versus $1,325 in Salwa.

Kuwait City $1,466
Salwa $1,325

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,441 in Kuwait City versus $2,235 in Salwa.

Kuwait City $2,441
Salwa $2,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Kuwait City versus $3,145 in Salwa.

Kuwait City $3,417
Salwa $3,145

Living in Kuwait City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Salwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuwait City is 8% above, Salwa is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 KWD 4.04

$12.61 KWD 3.89

4.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 KWD 19.51

$64.1 KWD 19.74

-1.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 KWD 2.78

$6.53 KWD 2.01

37.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$3.28 KWD 1.01

-3.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 KWD 1.46

$4.80 KWD 1.48

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$5.29 KWD 1.63

$5.25 KWD 1.62

0.76%

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

$0.75 KWD 0.23

$0.49 KWD 0.15

53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$0.29 KWD 0.09

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$1.59 KWD 0.49

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$0.69 KWD 0.21

123.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 KWD 0.61

$0.76 KWD 0.23

161.84%

Eggs

$2.16 KWD 0.67

$1.96 KWD 0.60

10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 KWD 1.30

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 KWD 2.03

$6.60 KWD 2.03

-0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 KWD 3.20

$10.32 KWD 3.18

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 KWD 0.74

$2.48 KWD 0.76

-3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KWD 0.57

$1.87 KWD 0.58

-1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$0.84 KWD 0.26

84.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

$0.66 KWD 0.20

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$1.49 KWD 0.46

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 KWD 0.71

$2.26 KWD 0.70

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KWD 0.17

$0.49 KWD 0.15

12.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.13 KWD 0.96

$3.27 KWD 1.01

-4.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

$1.01 KWD 0.31

0.99%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$1.45 KWD 0.45

-1.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 KWD 0.86

$2.68 KWD 0.83

3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$0.82 KWD 0.25

-4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.67 KWD 14.69

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 KWD 1.48

$3.30 KWD 1.02

45.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 KWD 1.00

$3.17 KWD 0.98

1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.99 KWD 4.93

$16.05 KWD 4.94

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

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

$23.6K KWD 7,279

$23.6K KWD 7,275

0.07%

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

$19.9K KWD 6,119

$17.6K KWD 5,426

12.76%

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

$66.7 KWD 20.53

$65.8 KWD 20.26

1.34%

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

$22.40 KWD 6.90

$22.27 KWD 6.86

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.14 KWD 9.29

$30.05 KWD 9.26

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 KWD 37.22

$98.2 KWD 30.24

23.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.58 KWD 9.73

$9.90 KWD 3.05

218.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 KWD 4.04

$13.08 KWD 4.03

0.23%

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

$497 KWD 153

$495 KWD 152

0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,448 KWD 2,911

$9,455 KWD 2,913

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.19 KWD 11.77

$37.43 KWD 11.53

2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 KWD 12.20

$39.86 KWD 12.28

-0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 KWD 30.35

$80.9 KWD 24.92

21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 KWD 27.19

$64.3 KWD 19.80

37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 KWD 279

$807 KWD 249

12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 KWD 192

$608 KWD 187

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 KWD 574

$1,745 KWD 538

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 KWD 418

$1,358 KWD 418

-0.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,290 KWD 1,630

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 KWD 716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,076 KWD 640

$3,543 KWD 1,092

-41.40%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Salwa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuwait City

$624 42.5%

Salwa

$608 45.9% 2.5% $16

Eating Out

Kuwait City

$200 13.6%

Salwa

$187 14.1% 6.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Kuwait City

$186 12.7%

Salwa

$166 12.5% 10.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Kuwait City

$147 10%

Salwa

$124 9.4% 15.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuwait City

$119 8.1%

Salwa

$118 8.9% 0.9% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Kuwait City

$119 8.1%

Salwa

$100 7.6% 15.9% $19

Getting Around

Kuwait City

$72 4.9%

Salwa

$22 * 1.7% 68.7% $49

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 $907 in Kuwait City and $807 in Salwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salwa pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Kuwait City vs $64 in Salwa. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $166, with Salwa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Kuwait City

🇰🇼 Salwa

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

Same time as Kuwait City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

637,411 Capital

40,945

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.92 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kuwait City Salwa 14 km

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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 Salwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salwa wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Kuwait City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Salwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Kuwait City. 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: $907 in Kuwait City versus $807 in Salwa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,466 per month in Kuwait City versus $1,325 in Salwa – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Kuwait City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Salwa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Salwa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.