Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Al Mubarraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mubarraz: $1,251 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
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Al Mubarraz Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Al Mubarraz

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 Al Mubarraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Riyadh vs $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Riyadh $1,738
Al Mubarraz $1,251

A couple spends around $2,575 per month in Riyadh vs $1,894 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Riyadh $2,575
Al Mubarraz $1,894

A family of three spends $3,413 per month in Riyadh vs $2,538 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Riyadh $3,413
Al Mubarraz $2,538

Riyadh costs about 39% more than Al Mubarraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Riyadh sits 29% above the global median, while Al Mubarraz is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 SAR 30.79

$7.36 SAR 27.64

11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 SAR 246

$36.62 SAR 137

79.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$8.00 SAR 30.03

0.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$2.08 SAR 7.80

0.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

$2.10 SAR 7.89

36.19%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$4.47 SAR 16.76

-0.89%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.28

$0.67 SAR 2.52

29.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 SAR 1.25

$0.28 SAR 1.06

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$1.73 SAR 6.50

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$1.33 SAR 4.99

-3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$2.47 SAR 9.27

-5.26%

Eggs

$3.11 SAR 11.67

$2.99 SAR 11.21

4.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 SAR 39.96

$10.63 SAR 39.90

0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 SAR 35.12

$9.59 SAR 36.01

-2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$14.99 SAR 56.3

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 SAR 10.95

$2.93 SAR 10.98

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$1.88 SAR 7.06

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$2.51 SAR 9.41

-0.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.17 SAR 4.38

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$1.33 SAR 4.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-0.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.58 SAR 2.17

-8.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.91 SAR 29.69

$2.98 SAR 11.19

165.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-1.70%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.49 SAR 9.33

-4.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$7.59 SAR 28.48

3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 SAR 3.86

$1.02 SAR 3.82

0.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.93 SAR 139

$32.07 SAR 120

15.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.10

$3.27 SAR 12.27

-1.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$1.89 SAR 7.09

1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.08 SAR 49.10

$13.53 SAR 50.8

-3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.64 SAR 2.40

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

1.16%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

2.74%

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

$105 SAR 394

$107 SAR 402

-1.82%

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

$29.43 SAR 110

$29.24 SAR 110

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 SAR 260

$70.4 SAR 264

-1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 SAR 291

$78.5 SAR 295

-1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 SAR 209

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 SAR 52.6

$13.68 SAR 51.3

2.34%

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

$555 SAR 2,082

$552 SAR 2,073

0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SAR 63.7K

$16.5K SAR 62.0K

2.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$57.6 SAR 216

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$54.6 SAR 205

-1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$103 SAR 386

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 391

$104 SAR 392

-0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 SAR 4,270

$557 SAR 2,092

104.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 SAR 3,160

$363 SAR 1,363

131.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 SAR 8,102

$914 SAR 3,432

136.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 SAR 4,739

$611 SAR 2,293

106.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

$1,728 SAR 6,485

56.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,655 SAR 6,212

$1,143 SAR 4,289

44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,088 SAR 7,837

$1,069 SAR 4,011

95.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Al Mubarraz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$842 48.5%

Al Mubarraz

$363 29% 56.9% $479

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.4% 0.5% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$204 11.7%

Al Mubarraz

$207 16.5% 1.4% $2.8

Eating Out

Riyadh

$148 8.5%

Al Mubarraz

$140 11.2% 5.1% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Al Mubarraz

$144 11.5% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$105 6.1%

Al Mubarraz

$106 8.5% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Al Mubarraz

$49 3.9% 9.2% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Riyadh versus $557 in Al Mubarraz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Riyadh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Riyadh versus $37 in Al Mubarraz. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Riyadh vs $242 in Al Mubarraz – so Riyadh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

290,802

💱 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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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 Mubarraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh, $1,251 in Al Mubarraz – Al Mubarraz comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,607 per month in Riyadh and $1,876 in Al Mubarraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Mubarraz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $557 there versus $1,138 in Riyadh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Riyadh and $37 in Al Mubarraz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Al Mubarraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Riyadh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,251 in Al Mubarraz to $1,738 in Riyadh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mubarraz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.