Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Dhahran

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,373 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Riyadh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Dhahran

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

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Riyadh vs $1,373 in Dhahran, rent included.

Riyadh $1,738
Dhahran $1,373

A couple spends around $2,587 per month in Riyadh vs $1,761 in Dhahran, rent included.

Riyadh $2,587
Dhahran $1,761

A family of three spends $3,437 per month in Riyadh vs $2,149 in Dhahran, rent included.

Riyadh $3,437
Dhahran $2,149

Riyadh costs about 27% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.38

$5.41 SAR 20.31

49.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 SAR 245

$39.83 SAR 149

63.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.69

$6.46 SAR 24.24

26.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$1.92 SAR 7.19

12.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

$1.62 SAR 6.09

83.33%

Cappuccino

$4.30 SAR 16.14

$3.82 SAR 14.35

12.57%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.18

$0.69 SAR 2.57

23.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.20 SAR 0.75

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.56 SAR 5.86

17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$0.94 SAR 3.51

39.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$1.99 SAR 7.47

19.10%

Eggs

$3.04 SAR 11.41

$3.91 SAR 14.67

-22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.41

$8.66 SAR 32.50

24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 SAR 35.18

$11.22 SAR 42.12

-16.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$13.79 SAR 51.7

8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

$2.09 SAR 7.83

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.44 SAR 5.40

31.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.26

$1.81 SAR 6.81

36.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

$1.75 SAR 6.58

-2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.47 SAR 5.53

-19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$0.97 SAR 3.63

31.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.85 SAR 3.17

-31.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.59

$4.72 SAR 17.70

72.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.63 SAR 6.13

11.66%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

$2.41 SAR 9.03

2.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.46

$5.51 SAR 20.68

42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.90 SAR 3.37

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 SAR 143

$55.6 SAR 208

-31.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.75

$1.37 SAR 5.15

128.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$3.30 SAR 12.38

-42.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.31 SAR 49.93

$9.26 SAR 34.75

43.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$0.63 SAR 2.38

-4.76%

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

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

$36.3K SAR 136.4K

-27.95%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

2.86%

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

$108 SAR 404

$61.2 SAR 230

75.68%

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

$29.62 SAR 111

$43.31 SAR 163

-31.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 SAR 266

$65.9 SAR 247

7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 SAR 312

$195 SAR 733

-57.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$95.1 SAR 357

-39.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 SAR 49.96

$10.51 SAR 39.44

26.64%

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

$554 SAR 2,077

$66.2 SAR 248

736.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

$13.6K SAR 51.0K

-25.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 SAR 217

$50.7 SAR 190

13.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$42.77 SAR 161

27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$77.0 SAR 289

35.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$90.4 SAR 339

15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 SAR 4,312

$366 SAR 1,375

213.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,128

$449 SAR 1,683

85.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 SAR 8,127

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 SAR 4,788

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,718 SAR 6,446

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,702

$2,804 SAR 10.5K

-26.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.5

23.11%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$833 48%

Dhahran

$449 32.7% 46.2% $385

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Dhahran

$232 16.9% 4.1% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 12%

Dhahran

$170 12.4% 18.1% $38

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Dhahran

$112 8.2% 22.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Dhahran

$117 8.6% 18.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$110 6.3%

Dhahran

$216 15.8% 97.2% $107

Getting Around

Riyadh

$55 3.2%

Dhahran

$77 5.6% 40.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,149 in Riyadh versus $366 in Dhahran. 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 37% higher in Dhahran, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Riyadh versus $40 in Dhahran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $232 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

120,521

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh costs about 27% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,606 per month in Riyadh and $2,060 in Dhahran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $366 there versus $1,149 in Riyadh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,373 in Dhahran. That makes Dhahran about 21% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Riyadh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,373 in Dhahran. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Dhahran – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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