Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,758 in Riyadh versus $1,332 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Riyadh versus $2,100 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,192 in Riyadh versus $2,868 in Al Khobar.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 32% more expensive than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 32% above, Al Khobar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 SAR 30.75

$6.82 SAR 25.59

20.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SAR 202

$54.0 SAR 203

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$8.19 SAR 30.77

-2.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-14.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-14.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 SAR 14.93

$4.26 SAR 16.00

-6.57%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$0.96 SAR 3.61

-19.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.49 SAR 1.83

-36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.40 SAR 5.24

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.32 SAR 8.72

1.72%

Eggs

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$2.88 SAR 10.81

-6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.84

$6.94 SAR 26.04

22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SAR 37.17

$9.12 SAR 34.26

8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 SAR 54.4

$12.61 SAR 47.33

14.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.73

$2.54 SAR 9.53

-8.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.72 SAR 6.45

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$2.13 SAR 8.00

-11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.57 SAR 5.88

1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$1.41 SAR 5.30

-11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$1.72 SAR 6.47

-15.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-15.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$0.60 SAR 2.24

-13.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.87 SAR 29.54

$2.70 SAR 10.13

191.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.46 SAR 5.48

22.60%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

$1.88 SAR 7.04

28.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.83

$6.51 SAR 24.44

13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$0.92 SAR 3.44

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.88 SAR 138

$60.1 SAR 225

-38.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.09

$2.26 SAR 8.48

42.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.93

$1.35 SAR 5.06

36.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$6.60 SAR 24.78

99.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-1.54%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

64.18%

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

$23.4K SAR 88.0K

$22.7K SAR 85.4K

3.11%

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

$106 SAR 398

$124 SAR 466

-14.63%

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

$35.14 SAR 132

$34.51 SAR 130

1.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 SAR 289

$80.7 SAR 303

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 SAR 399

$109 SAR 410

-2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.9 SAR 225

$36.80 SAR 138

62.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 SAR 60.9

$17.36 SAR 65.2

-6.57%

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

$465 SAR 1,747

$306 SAR 1,147

52.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,542 SAR 35.8K

$7,541 SAR 28.3K

26.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$63.4 SAR 238

-8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 SAR 244

$69.8 SAR 262

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 413

$100 SAR 376

9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 378

$80.4 SAR 302

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 SAR 4,166

$433 SAR 1,627

156.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SAR 3,164

$401 SAR 1,505

110.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 SAR 7,607

$1,059 SAR 3,977

91.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 SAR 4,233

$813 SAR 3,054

38.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 SAR 10.9K

$2,442 SAR 9,169

19.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 SAR 7,279

$1,423 SAR 5,344

36.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,020 SAR 7,587

$1,856 SAR 6,970

8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

3.84

38.28%

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

Last update for Riyadh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,110 in Riyadh and $433 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 9% 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: $54.0 in Riyadh vs $54.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $217, with Al Khobar 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

Riyadh vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,110 in Riyadh versus $433 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 63% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Riyadh versus $306 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,332 in Al Khobar versus $1,758 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,332 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Al Khobar 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 Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.