Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,198 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Ad Dammam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam.

Riyadh $1,738
Ad Dammam $1,198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,567 in Riyadh versus $1,835 in Ad Dammam.

Riyadh $2,567
Ad Dammam $1,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,396 in Riyadh versus $2,471 in Ad Dammam.

Riyadh $3,396
Ad Dammam $2,471

Living in Riyadh is roughly 45% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 29% above, Ad Dammam is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.35

$7.24 SAR 27.17

11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 SAR 249

$35.15 SAR 132

88.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 SAR 30.64

$6.63 SAR 24.89

23.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.79

$1.82 SAR 6.84

14.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

$2.32 SAR 8.70

28.45%

Cappuccino

$4.25 SAR 15.96

$3.06 SAR 11.48

38.89%

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

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$0.70 SAR 2.64

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.19 SAR 0.72

68.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.82 SAR 6.82

-3.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$1.33 SAR 5.00

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$1.93 SAR 7.26

25.91%

Eggs

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$2.16 SAR 8.12

44.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 SAR 40.11

$7.52 SAR 28.21

42.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 SAR 35.41

$8.07 SAR 30.28

16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 SAR 57.0

$12.76 SAR 47.89

19.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

$2.20 SAR 8.27

29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$1.66 SAR 6.23

18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 SAR 9.51

$1.65 SAR 6.18

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.60 SAR 6.01

6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

$1.09 SAR 4.08

8.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.19 SAR 4.48

7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.28 SAR 4.80

32.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.12

$0.57 SAR 2.14

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.83 SAR 29.38

$4.07 SAR 15.26

92.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.77

$1.50 SAR 5.61

20.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.95

$2.16 SAR 8.12

10.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.50 SAR 28.15

$7.54 SAR 28.30

-0.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.92 SAR 3.44

16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.34 SAR 140

$35.31 SAR 132

5.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 SAR 11.69

$2.59 SAR 9.73

20.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

$2.63 SAR 9.86

-31.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.23 SAR 49.66

$13.24 SAR 49.69

-0.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$0.60 SAR 2.24

8.33%

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

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

$65.8K SAR 247.1K

-47.36%

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

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

$21.0K SAR 78.8K

8.91%

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

$106 SAR 396

$130 SAR 486

-18.61%

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

$29.61 SAR 111

$33.20 SAR 125

-10.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 SAR 265

$62.2 SAR 233

13.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.6 SAR 344

$77.1 SAR 289

18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

$27.97 SAR 105

103.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$13.47 SAR 50.5

-2.82%

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

$523 SAR 1,963

$414 SAR 1,555

26.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

$7,796 SAR 29.3K

31.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 SAR 221

$41.50 SAR 156

41.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 SAR 199

$48.82 SAR 183

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SAR 379

$94.6 SAR 355

6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SAR 386

$91.4 SAR 343

12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 SAR 4,425

$580 SAR 2,176

103.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,122

$370 SAR 1,388

124.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 SAR 8,359

$1,002 SAR 3,760

122.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 SAR 4,595

$677 SAR 2,539

81.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

$1,405 SAR 5,271

113.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,913 SAR 7,177

$604 SAR 2,268

216.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,067 SAR 7,757

$1,487 SAR 5,581

38.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.9

-6.10%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$832 47.9%

Ad Dammam

$370 30.9% 55.5% $462

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$242 13.9%

Ad Dammam

$202 16.9% 16.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$206 11.8%

Ad Dammam

$225 18.8% 9.3% $19

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Ad Dammam

$118 9.9% 18.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$142 8.2%

Ad Dammam

$124 10.4% 12.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$118 6.8%

Ad Dammam

$104 8.7% 11.6% $14

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Ad Dammam

$55 4.6% 1.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Riyadh and $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 39% 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: $66.0 in Riyadh vs $35.00 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $202 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

903,312

💱 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

On the map

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Riyadh Ad Dammam 390 km

From you

Riyadh
Ad Dammam

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

Riyadh vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Riyadh, 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: $1,179 in Riyadh versus $580 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,738 per month in Riyadh versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 6% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,198 in Ad Dammam versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,198 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Ad Dammam 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 Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.