Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Dhahran Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Dhahran

🙂 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 8.2% cheaper than Dhahran without rent, and 30.3% more expensive with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Riyadh is 8.8% cheaper than Dhahran without rent, and 20.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.92 SAR 29.72
$5.42 SAR 20.33
46.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.9 SAR 198
$40.09 SAR 150
31.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.85 SAR 29.43
$7.32 SAR 27.46
7.24%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.76 SAR 6.59
$1.98 SAR 7.43
-11.11%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SAR 8.27
$1.64 SAR 6.17
34.15%
Cappuccino
$3.99 SAR 14.96
$3.79 SAR 14.22
5.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 SAR 2.90
$0.68 SAR 2.55
13.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.07
$0.20 SAR 0.75
45.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SAR 6.16
$1.56 SAR 5.85
5.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 SAR 4.72
$1.18 SAR 4.43
6.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 SAR 9.15
$2.19 SAR 8.22
11.42%
Eggs
$2.74 SAR 10.28
$2.37 SAR 8.89
15.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 SAR 30.89
$6.76 SAR 25.36
21.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.10 SAR 37.88
$9.02 SAR 33.84
11.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.73 SAR 55.3
$13.76 SAR 51.6
7.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.64
$2.21 SAR 8.30
4.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 SAR 6.40
$1.41 SAR 5.29
21.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 SAR 6.68
$1.63 SAR 6.10
9.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 SAR 5.75
$1.36 SAR 5.08
12.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 SAR 4.86
$1.22 SAR 4.56
6.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SAR 5.65
$0.95 SAR 3.55
58.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 SAR 5.42
$1.05 SAR 3.96
38.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 SAR 1.92
$0.62 SAR 2.34
-17.74%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$8.14 SAR 30.53
$3.01 SAR 11.27
170.43%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 SAR 6.45
$1.99 SAR 7.46
-13.57%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 SAR 9.07
$1.56 SAR 5.86
55.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.50 SAR 28.14
$9.14 SAR 34.28
-17.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.04 SAR 3.90
$1.08 SAR 4.05
-3.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.86 SAR 138
$40.43 SAR 152
-8.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 SAR 11.69
$1.31 SAR 4.90
138.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 SAR 7.17
$2.42 SAR 9.07
-21.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.17 SAR 49.40
$13.16 SAR 49.34
0.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SAR 2.23
$0.64 SAR 2.39
-6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K SAR 131.1K
$32.0K SAR 119.9K
9.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K SAR 88.6K
$24.5K SAR 91.7K
-3.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 SAR 395
$107 SAR 403
-1.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.86 SAR 131
$37.30 SAR 140
-6.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 SAR 284
$71.8 SAR 269
5.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$104 SAR 390
$185 SAR 695
-43.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$58.2 SAR 218
$35.01 SAR 131
66.27%
Cinema Ticket
$16.02 SAR 60.1
$12.05 SAR 45.18
32.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 SAR 1,745
$411 SAR 1,543
13.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,705 SAR 36.4K
$9,790 SAR 36.7K
-0.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.4 SAR 223
$59.0 SAR 221
0.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 SAR 239
$74.4 SAR 279
-14.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 SAR 401
$85.3 SAR 320
25.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 SAR 367
$95.9 SAR 359
2.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 SAR 4,089
$442 SAR 1,656
146.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$848 SAR 3,180
$376 SAR 1,409
125.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,067 SAR 7,753
$868 SAR 3,254
138.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 SAR 4,168
$610 SAR 2,287
82.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,924 SAR 11.0K
$2,438 SAR 9,142
19.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,908 SAR 7,155
$1,362 SAR 5,106
40.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Dhahran
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,382 SAR 8,931
$2,805 SAR 10.5K
-15.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.31
4.42
20.14%

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

Last update for Riyadh: March 3, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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