Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $953 a month against $1,487 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rabigh, Saudi Arabia
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Rabigh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$953
/mo nomad
Al Khobar
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,487
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabigh and in Al Khobar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rabigh and in Al Khobar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Rabigh versus $1,487 in Al Khobar.

  • Rabigh $953
  • Al Khobar $1,487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Rabigh versus $2,252 in Al Khobar.

  • Rabigh $1,456
  • Al Khobar $2,252

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Rabigh versus $3,016 in Al Khobar.

  • Rabigh $1,960
  • Al Khobar $3,016

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 36% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 30% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66 SAR 17.49
$6.81 SAR 25.57
-31.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.40 SAR 99.1
$59.9 SAR 225
-55.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.97 SAR 26.15
$8.00 SAR 30.00
-12.88%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 SAR 5.72
$2.61 SAR 9.80
-41.76%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 SAR 5.92
$2.64 SAR 9.92
-40.15%
Cappuccino
$2.57 SAR 9.63
$4.43 SAR 16.64
-41.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 SAR 2.63
$0.87 SAR 3.26
-19.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 SAR 0.86
$0.40 SAR 1.52
-42.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 SAR 7.06
$1.69 SAR 6.36
11.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 SAR 3.82
$1.27 SAR 4.76
-19.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 SAR 8.23
$2.54 SAR 9.53
-13.78%
Eggs
$2.56 SAR 9.61
$2.45 SAR 9.21
4.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.08 SAR 22.80
$7.28 SAR 27.33
-16.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.04 SAR 45.17
$10.16 SAR 38.14
18.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 SAR 48.60
$11.86 SAR 44.50
9.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 SAR 7.81
$2.66 SAR 9.97
-21.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 SAR 6.08
$1.69 SAR 6.36
-4.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 SAR 6.76
$2.04 SAR 7.66
-11.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 SAR 5.62
$1.75 SAR 6.56
-14.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$1.40 SAR 5.27
-5.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SAR 5.67
$1.65 SAR 6.20
-8.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 SAR 3.97
$1.75 SAR 6.55
-39.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 SAR 2.77
$0.58 SAR 2.18
27.59%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.89 SAR 10.84
$2.73 SAR 10.26
5.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 SAR 8.22
$1.65 SAR 6.18
32.73%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 SAR 5.85
$1.90 SAR 7.13
-17.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.94 SAR 29.80
$6.75 SAR 25.31
17.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 SAR 4.06
$0.95 SAR 3.55
13.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.60 SAR 126
$61.9 SAR 232
-45.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.41 SAR 9.06
$2.90 SAR 10.88
-16.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.61 SAR 9.80
$2.64 SAR 9.89
-1.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.48 SAR 50.6
$6.58 SAR 24.68
104.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 SAR 2.27
$0.64 SAR 2.39
-4.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K SAR 99.9K
$67.8K SAR 254.5K
-60.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K SAR 80.3K
$21.6K SAR 81.0K
-0.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$66.6 SAR 250
$99.4 SAR 373
-32.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.24 SAR 128
$33.37 SAR 125
2.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.8 SAR 239
$68.9 SAR 259
-7.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.0 SAR 277
$81.3 SAR 305
-9.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$36.86 SAR 138
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.35 SAR 57.6
$15.26 SAR 57.3
0.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$428 SAR 1,606
$607 SAR 2,279
-29.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,737 SAR 29.0K
$8,542 SAR 32.1K
-9.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.32 SAR 49.99
$63.4 SAR 238
-78.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 SAR 207
$82.3 SAR 309
-32.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$39.72 SAR 149
$97.8 SAR 367
-59.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.7 SAR 201
$94.4 SAR 354
-43.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$335 SAR 1,258
$766 SAR 2,876
-56.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$244 SAR 917
$583 SAR 2,189
-58.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$610 SAR 2,290
$1,247 SAR 4,678
-51.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$424 SAR 1,591
$906 SAR 3,400
-53.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,728 SAR 6,484
$1,456 SAR 5,463
18.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,478 SAR 5,546
$1,072 SAR 4,024
37.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rabigh
Al Khobar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,877 SAR 7,045
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
5.88
-10.71%

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

Last update for Rabigh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rabigh
$244
Al Khobar
$583 139% $339
Groceries & Markets
Rabigh
$220
Al Khobar
$220 0.2% $0.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabigh
$165
Al Khobar
$202 22.5% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Rabigh
$105
Al Khobar
$112 6.9% $7.2
Eating Out
Rabigh
$93
Al Khobar
$137 47.5% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Rabigh
$73
Al Khobar
$152 109% $79
Getting Around
Rabigh
$53
Al Khobar
$82 53.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Rabigh and $766 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Rabigh vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $220 per month, with Rabigh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Rabigh
🇸🇦 Al Khobar
🕒 Local time
23:22 11:22 PM
23:22 11:22 PM
Same time as Rabigh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,072
219,679
💱 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rabigh Al Khobar 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rabigh
  • Al Khobar

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
Rabigh vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rabigh or Al Khobar?
Rabigh wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rabigh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rabigh and in Al Khobar?
You’d need roughly $1,429 in Rabigh and $2,231 in Al Khobar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Rabigh compared to Al Khobar?
Rent for a central apartment: $335 in Rabigh versus $766 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Rabigh and in Al Khobar?
Childcare runs $428 in Rabigh versus $607 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Rabigh and in Al Khobar?
Dining out is cheaper in Rabigh – a meal for two runs $26 versus $60 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rabigh or Al Khobar?
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.
How safe is Rabigh compared to Al Khobar?
Safety-wise, Rabigh and Al Khobar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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