Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Qatif versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Qatif $1,102
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,642 in Qatif versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Qatif $1,642
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Qatif versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Qatif $2,183
Dubai $5,872

Living in Qatif costs roughly 62% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 18% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 SAR 13.07

$12.67 AED 46.55

-72.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.45 SAR 129

$81.7 AED 300

-57.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 SAR 24.75

$9.34 AED 34.30

-29.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$3.15 SAR 11.81

$5.89 AED 21.62

-46.52%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.92

$1.69 AED 6.20

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.76

$0.78 AED 2.86

-74.36%

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)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$1.84 AED 6.78

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$1.50 AED 5.50

-35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

$2.57 AED 9.45

-27.63%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.94

$3.32 AED 12.18

-36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 SAR 22.35

$12.60 AED 46.28

-52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 SAR 29.16

$9.66 AED 35.46

-19.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 SAR 47.77

$12.78 AED 46.93

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.60 AED 9.54

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

$1.90 AED 6.99

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.91 AED 7.02

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$1.37 AED 5.02

-49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.19

$1.13 AED 4.14

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.01 AED 3.71

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 SAR 3.66

$1.44 AED 5.30

-32.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.67 AED 2.48

-17.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 SAR 23.42

$5.88 AED 21.59

6.12%

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)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.60 AED 5.87

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.81 SAR 138

$76.0 AED 279

-51.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$3.24 AED 11.91

-25.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.71 AED 2.61

-22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.19

$7.96 AED 29.22

64.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$0.98 AED 3.62

-36.73%

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

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

30.99%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-5.87%

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

$107 SAR 400

$249 AED 913

-57.07%

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

$32.52 SAR 122

$54.4 AED 200

-40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 SAR 218

$91.5 AED 336

-36.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 SAR 307

$103 AED 380

-20.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.75 SAR 81.6

$42.32 AED 155

-48.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$16.29 AED 59.8

-18.17%

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

$268 SAR 1,005

$844 AED 3,098

-68.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-55.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.99 SAR 120

$67.0 AED 246

-52.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.32 SAR 80.0

$57.9 AED 213

-63.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SAR 364

$102 AED 375

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 SAR 338

$98.7 AED 363

-8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 SAR 2,159

$2,393 AED 8,788

-75.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 SAR 1,375

$1,533 AED 5,630

-76.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-81.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,151

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-80.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$976 SAR 3,663

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-86.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$790 SAR 2,963

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-81.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 SAR 8,537

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-34.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

4.54

21.15%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qatif

$367 33.3%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 318% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$197 17.9%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 100% $197

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$186 16.9%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 57.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$109 9.9%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 25.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 35.6% $38

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8.1%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 242% $216

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 92.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Qatif and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 52% 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: $34.00 in Qatif vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $292 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h ahead of Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Qatif Dubai 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Qatif
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

Qatif vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $575 in Qatif 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 Qatif runs roughly 106% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $268 in Qatif versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Qatif versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qatif 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, Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.