Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Rakvere Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Rakvere

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,055 in Qatif versus $1,245 in Rakvere.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,678 in Qatif versus $1,783 in Rakvere.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,301 in Qatif versus $2,322 in Rakvere.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 15% less than in Rakvere, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qatif 21% lower, Rakvere 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 SAR 12.71

$9.45 €8.09

-64.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.21 SAR 181

$45.72 €39.14

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.38

$8.26 €7.07

-1.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$3.53 SAR 13.23

$3.77 €3.22

-6.37%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$2.46 €2.11

-68.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.93 €1.65

-86.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 €3.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.56

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.04 €0.89

58.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 SAR 3.01

$0.77 €0.66

3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$2.34 €2.00

-10.26%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.05 €1.75

13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.20 SAR 23.26

$8.20 €7.02

-24.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 SAR 26.83

$6.80 €5.82

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.58

$10.53 €9.01

-4.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.01

$1.96 €1.68

9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.76

$1.28 €1.10

20.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.38

$2.42 €2.08

-40.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 SAR 2.68

$2.40 €2.05

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.78

$1.05 €0.90

21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.10 €0.94

20.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 SAR 4.15

$1.73 €1.48

-35.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$0.56 €0.48

-8.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.17

$6.52 €5.58

15.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 €9.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.78 €0.67

39.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 SAR 150

$23.31 €19.96

71.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 SAR 11.71

$2.91 €2.49

7.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$0.74 €0.63

112.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.3

$20.64 €17.67

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.87 €1.60

-66.31%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

$20.9K €17.9K

7.45%

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

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

$25.9K €22.2K

-24.23%

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

$103 SAR 387

$265 €227

-61.06%

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

$37.05 SAR 139

$22.34 €19.13

65.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 SAR 221

$31.54 €27.00

86.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 357

$53.3 €45.64

78.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 SAR 214

$18.24 €15.61

213.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$5.18 €4.44

193.82%

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

$392 SAR 1,470

$114 €97.5

244.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

$8,292 €7,098

-2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 SAR 196

$121 €103

-56.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 SAR 190

$35.32 €30.23

43.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 SAR 343

$62.6 €53.6

46.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 SAR 320

$79.8 €68.3

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,333

$350 €300

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,058

$289 €247

-2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 SAR 2,661

$589 €504

20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 SAR 1,855

$354 €303

39.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$1,774 €1,519

-46.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 SAR 2,910

$1,303 €1,115

-40.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,869 SAR 7,009

$1,267 €1,085

47.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

2.3

88.26%

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

Last update for Qatif: April 26, 2026

Last update for Rakvere: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Qatif and $350 in Rakvere. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Qatif vs $46.00 in Rakvere. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $213, with Qatif cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rakvere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif and Rakvere differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,055 vs $1,245 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Qatif pays 47% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $356 in Qatif versus $350 in Rakvere. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qatif – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $46.00 in Rakvere. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,055 per month in Qatif versus $1,245 in Rakvere – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,055 in Qatif versus $1,245 in Rakvere, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Rakvere. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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, Qatif and Rakvere 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 18% less than in Rakvere. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.