Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Najran and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Najran: $1,219 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Najran
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,219
/mo nomad
Riyadh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,738
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Najran vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Najran $1,219
  • Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,857 per month in Najran vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Najran $1,857
  • Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $2,495 per month in Najran vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

  • Najran $2,495
  • Riyadh $3,396

Najran is about 30% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Najran sits 10% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.06 SAR 30.25
$8.09 SAR 30.35
-0.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.02 SAR 139
$66.3 SAR 249
-44.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 SAR 35.22
$8.16 SAR 30.64
15.07%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.70 SAR 6.37
$2.08 SAR 7.79
-18.27%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 SAR 5.11
$2.98 SAR 11.19
-54.36%
Cappuccino
$4.49 SAR 16.84
$4.25 SAR 15.96
5.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 SAR 2.46
$0.91 SAR 3.41
-28.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.11
$0.32 SAR 1.20
-9.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.73 SAR 10.25
$1.76 SAR 6.60
55.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 SAR 4.74
$1.26 SAR 4.72
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 SAR 8.53
$2.43 SAR 9.13
-6.58%
Eggs
$2.42 SAR 9.10
$3.13 SAR 11.76
-22.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.44 SAR 27.93
$10.69 SAR 40.11
-30.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.82 SAR 29.35
$9.44 SAR 35.41
-17.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 SAR 48.09
$15.19 SAR 57.0
-15.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 SAR 8.28
$2.84 SAR 10.65
-22.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 SAR 6.39
$1.96 SAR 7.36
-13.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 SAR 6.21
$2.53 SAR 9.51
-34.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.59 SAR 5.95
$1.70 SAR 6.37
-6.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 SAR 4.57
$1.18 SAR 4.44
3.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.31 SAR 4.93
$1.28 SAR 4.81
2.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 SAR 4.63
$1.70 SAR 6.37
-27.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 SAR 2.03
$0.57 SAR 2.12
-5.26%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.95 SAR 11.07
$7.83 SAR 29.38
-62.32%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 SAR 6.58
$1.80 SAR 6.77
-2.78%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 SAR 7.59
$2.39 SAR 8.95
-15.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.79 SAR 25.50
$7.50 SAR 28.15
-9.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.12
$1.07 SAR 4.03
2.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.74 SAR 138
$37.34 SAR 140
-1.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 SAR 9.84
$3.11 SAR 11.69
-15.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 SAR 6.87
$1.81 SAR 6.79
1.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.20 SAR 49.52
$13.23 SAR 49.66
-0.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.50 SAR 1.86
$0.65 SAR 2.44
-23.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K SAR 167.7K
$34.7K SAR 130.1K
28.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K SAR 78.5K
$22.9K SAR 85.8K
-8.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 SAR 388
$106 SAR 396
-2.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.18 SAR 125
$29.61 SAR 111
12.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.4 SAR 246
$70.7 SAR 265
-7.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.4 SAR 302
$91.6 SAR 344
-12.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$81.0 SAR 304
$56.9 SAR 214
42.35%
Cinema Ticket
$13.13 SAR 49.27
$13.09 SAR 49.11
0.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$424 SAR 1,591
$523 SAR 1,963
-18.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,073 SAR 30.3K
$10.2K SAR 38.4K
-21.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.02 SAR 158
$58.8 SAR 221
-28.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.7 SAR 209
$53.1 SAR 199
4.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.7 SAR 356
$101 SAR 379
-6.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.3 SAR 324
$103 SAR 386
-16.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$586 SAR 2,198
$1,179 SAR 4,425
-50.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$370 SAR 1,388
$832 SAR 3,122
-55.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 SAR 3,066
$2,227 SAR 8,359
-63.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 SAR 2,137
$1,224 SAR 4,595
-53.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,369 SAR 8,888
$2,996 SAR 11.2K
-20.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,393 SAR 5,229
$1,913 SAR 7,177
-27.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Najran
Riyadh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,709 SAR 6,412
$2,067 SAR 7,757
-17.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
5.54
-

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

Last update for Najran: October 12, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Najran
$370
Riyadh
$832 125% $462
Groceries & Markets
Najran
$212
Riyadh
$242 13.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Najran
$202
Riyadh
$206 1.9% $3.9
Eating Out
Najran
$150
Riyadh
$145 3.4% $5.2
Clothing & Footwear
Najran
$125
Riyadh
$142 13.3% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Najran
$107
Riyadh
$118 10.5% $11
Getting Around
Najran
$53
Riyadh
$54 1.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Najran versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Najran versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $242 – making Najran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Najran
🇸🇦 Riyadh
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
11:49 11:49 AM
Same time as Najran
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
298,288
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Najran Riyadh 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Najran
  • 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
Najran vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Najran or Riyadh?
Riyadh costs about 43% more than Najran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Najran and in Riyadh?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,829 per month in Najran and $2,607 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Najran or Riyadh?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Najran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Najran compared to Riyadh?
Public transport costs about 2% less in Najran. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Najran and in Riyadh?
Kindergarten costs $424 per month in Najran and $523 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Najran or in Riyadh?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Najran, where all-in costs run around $1,219, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Najran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Najran or Riyadh?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Najran costs $1,219 versus $1,738 in Riyadh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Najran compared to Riyadh?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Najran or to Riyadh?
If budget matters most, go with Najran. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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