Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Qatif versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Qatif $1,102
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,642 in Qatif versus $2,567 in Riyadh.

Qatif $1,642
Riyadh $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Qatif versus $3,396 in Riyadh.

Qatif $2,183
Riyadh $3,396

Living in Qatif costs roughly 37% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 18% below, Riyadh is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 SAR 13.07

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-56.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.45 SAR 129

$66.3 SAR 249

-48.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 SAR 24.75

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-19.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-12.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-23.15%

Cappuccino

$3.15 SAR 11.81

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-25.88%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.92

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.76

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$1.76 SAR 6.60

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-23.46%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.94

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 SAR 22.35

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 SAR 29.16

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-17.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 SAR 47.77

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-16.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-22.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-37.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-59.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.19

$1.18 SAR 4.44

-5.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 SAR 3.66

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-42.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.57 SAR 2.12

-3.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-65.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-20.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-10.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 SAR 23.42

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.07 SAR 4.03

2.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.81 SAR 138

$37.34 SAR 140

-1.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-22.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.81 SAR 6.79

-69.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.19

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-4.62%

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

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

3.50%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-9.35%

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

$107 SAR 400

$106 SAR 396

1.12%

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

$32.52 SAR 122

$29.61 SAR 111

9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 SAR 218

$70.7 SAR 265

-17.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 SAR 307

$91.6 SAR 344

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.75 SAR 81.6

$56.9 SAR 214

-61.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$13.09 SAR 49.11

1.83%

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

$268 SAR 1,005

$523 SAR 1,963

-48.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-20.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.99 SAR 120

$58.8 SAR 221

-45.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.32 SAR 80.0

$53.1 SAR 199

-59.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SAR 364

$101 SAR 379

-4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 SAR 338

$103 SAR 386

-12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 SAR 2,159

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 SAR 1,375

$832 SAR 3,122

-55.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,151

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-53.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$976 SAR 3,663

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-67.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$790 SAR 2,963

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-58.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 SAR 8,537

$2,067 SAR 7,757

10.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.54

-0.72%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qatif

$367 33.3%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 127% $466

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$197 17.9%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 4.3% $8.6

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$186 16.9%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 30.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$109 9.9%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 8.5% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 31.4% $34

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8.1%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 62.5% $56

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 16% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Qatif and $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Qatif vs $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $242 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Qatif Riyadh 390 km

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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

Qatif vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif and Riyadh differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $1,738 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Qatif, 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: $575 in Qatif versus $1,179 in Riyadh. 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 $34.00 versus $66.0 in Riyadh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,102 per month in Qatif versus $1,738 in Riyadh – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Qatif versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. 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 Riyadh 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 58% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.