Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,719 in Riyadh versus $1,103 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,562 in Riyadh versus $1,669 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,405 in Riyadh versus $2,235 in Ar-rass.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 56% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 26% above, Ar-rass is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 SAR 29.38

$6.70 SAR 25.15

16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 SAR 239

$37.74 SAR 142

68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.51

$7.77 SAR 29.17

1.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$1.84 SAR 6.90

13.59%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.21

$2.01 SAR 7.55

48.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 SAR 17.05

$3.36 SAR 12.63

35.12%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.13

$0.81 SAR 3.04

2.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.24 SAR 0.90

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$0.41 SAR 1.55

192.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.58

$1.90 SAR 7.14

20.00%

Eggs

$3.06 SAR 11.49

$3.68 SAR 13.82

-16.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.65

$7.03 SAR 26.40

42.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.18

$8.16 SAR 30.65

24.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 SAR 59.0

$13.12 SAR 49.27

19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

$2.09 SAR 7.83

29.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 7.00

$1.77 SAR 6.66

5.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.53

$1.56 SAR 5.86

45.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.61 SAR 6.05

5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 SAR 4.54

$1.15 SAR 4.32

5.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.35 SAR 5.05

-1.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.15 SAR 4.32

46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$0.56 SAR 2.10

-3.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.89 SAR 29.63

$2.79 SAR 10.47

182.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

$1.82 SAR 6.83

1.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

$1.81 SAR 6.82

43.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 SAR 28.74

$7.90 SAR 29.67

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.22 SAR 4.57

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.95 SAR 139

$35.86 SAR 135

3.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 SAR 11.96

$2.96 SAR 11.11

7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.54 SAR 5.78

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.9

$11.37 SAR 42.69

19.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$0.64 SAR 2.40

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

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

-24.98%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

4.49%

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

$100 SAR 376

$88.2 SAR 331

13.59%

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

$33.25 SAR 125

$24.45 SAR 91.8

35.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 SAR 260

$60.2 SAR 226

14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 SAR 341

$44.03 SAR 165

106.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.9 SAR 210

$40.53 SAR 152

38.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 SAR 50.6

$13.08 SAR 49.14

2.98%

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

$537 SAR 2,016

$349 SAR 1,310

53.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K SAR 40.5K

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

45.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$50.6 SAR 190

17.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 SAR 201

$58.2 SAR 219

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 415

$95.0 SAR 357

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 390

$95.5 SAR 359

8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 SAR 4,391

$580 SAR 2,177

101.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 SAR 3,063

$339 SAR 1,273

140.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 SAR 8,114

$382 SAR 1,433

466.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 SAR 4,579

$591 SAR 2,220

106.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,930 SAR 11.0K

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

9.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,934 SAR 7,265

$1,276 SAR 4,793

51.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,709

$1,706 SAR 6,407

20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.47

1.28%

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

Last update for Riyadh: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,169 in Riyadh and $580 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 20% 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: $64.0 in Riyadh vs $38.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $199 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh and Ar-rass differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,719 vs $1,103 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,169 in Riyadh versus $580 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Riyadh versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,719 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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, Riyadh and Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.