Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,768 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $1,768 per month in Riyadh vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Riyadh $1,768
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $2,557 per month in Riyadh vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Riyadh $2,557
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Riyadh vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Riyadh $3,345
Delhi $1,195

Riyadh costs about 240% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Riyadh sits 32% above the global median, while Delhi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$3.67 ₹355

120.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 SAR 250

$20.95 ₹2,027

217.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.47

$3.74 ₹362

116.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Cappuccino

$4.34 SAR 16.31

$2.33 ₹226

86.27%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$0.37 ₹35.82

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.20 ₹18.91

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$0.68 ₹65.9

160.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$0.52 ₹50.2

153.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

$0.83 ₹80.0

189.16%

Eggs

$3.06 SAR 11.48

$1.07 ₹104

185.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 SAR 39.91

$4.43 ₹428

139.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 SAR 36.05

$3.37 ₹326

184.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.3

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

$1.99 ₹192

40.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.45

$0.72 ₹70.1

175.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 SAR 9.43

$1.02 ₹98.4

146.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$0.52 ₹50.1

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.45

$0.27 ₹25.96

337.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.01

$0.37 ₹35.42

262.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$0.43 ₹41.64

316.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.03

$0.31 ₹30.39

74.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 SAR 28.26

$4.92 ₹476

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.96

$0.46 ₹44.04

128.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.18 SAR 140

$15.29 ₹1,480

143.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$1.03 ₹99.8

219.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

$0.27 ₹26.38

607.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.5

$1.53 ₹148

777.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.05 ₹102

-38.10%

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

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

230.94%

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

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

24.33%

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

$106 SAR 397

$42.67 ₹4,129

147.62%

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

$29.10 SAR 109

$4.04 ₹391

620.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$6.75 ₹653

977.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 SAR 343

$19.40 ₹1,878

371.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.4 SAR 212

$8.06 ₹780

599.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 SAR 49.58

$5.08 ₹492

159.84%

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

$532 SAR 1,999

$100 ₹9,696

431.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

351.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 SAR 215

$24.14 ₹2,336

137.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$28.38 ₹2,747

91.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 393

$53.3 ₹5,160

96.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SAR 397

$44.13 ₹4,271

139.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 SAR 4,547

$264 ₹25.5K

358.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 SAR 3,132

$154 ₹14.9K

441.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 SAR 8,346

$736 ₹71.2K

201.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 SAR 4,658

$397 ₹38.5K

212.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

$2,494 ₹241.4K

20.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 SAR 7,274

$1,017 ₹98.4K

90.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 SAR 7,648

$585 ₹56.7K

247.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

8.33

-33.49%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$834 47.7%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 81.5% $680

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$242 13.9%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 55.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 11.9%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 74.2% $154

Eating Out

Riyadh

$146 8.4%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 40.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$145 8.3%

Delhi

$67 13% 53.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$118 6.8%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 74.9% $88

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 64% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,211 in Riyadh versus $264 in Delhi. 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 248% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Riyadh versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Riyadh Delhi 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,768 in Riyadh, $520 in Delhi – roughly 240% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,652 per month in Riyadh and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Riyadh and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,768 in Riyadh and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 240%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Riyadh at $1,768. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riyadh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $1,768 in Riyadh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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