Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Doha

For one person, living is cheaper in Riyadh: $1,738 a month against $2,102 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Doha
Learn more

Doha Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Doha

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

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Riyadh vs $2,102 in Doha, rent included.

Riyadh $1,738
Doha $2,102

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Riyadh vs $3,272 in Doha, rent included.

Riyadh $2,567
Doha $3,272

A family of three spends $3,396 per month in Riyadh vs $4,443 in Doha, rent included.

Riyadh $3,396
Doha $4,443

Riyadh is about 17% cheaper than Doha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Riyadh and Doha sit above the global median – Riyadh by 29%, Doha by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.35

$9.64 QAR 35.11

-16.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 SAR 249

$69.5 QAR 253

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 SAR 30.64

$8.09 QAR 29.43

0.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.79

$12.38 QAR 45.07

-83.20%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

$13.39 QAR 48.74

-77.74%

Cappuccino

$4.25 SAR 15.96

$5.93 QAR 21.60

-28.33%

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

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$0.88 QAR 3.19

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.44 QAR 1.59

-27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$2.11 QAR 7.70

-16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$1.41 QAR 5.14

-10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$1.85 QAR 6.75

31.35%

Eggs

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$3.41 QAR 12.42

-8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 SAR 40.11

$11.34 QAR 41.29

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 SAR 35.41

$7.89 QAR 28.73

19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 SAR 57.0

$11.36 QAR 41.35

33.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

$2.18 QAR 7.93

30.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$1.85 QAR 6.73

5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 SAR 9.51

$1.58 QAR 5.75

60.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.24 QAR 4.53

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

$0.99 QAR 3.61

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$0.93 QAR 3.39

37.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.44 QAR 5.23

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.12

$0.55 QAR 1.99

3.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.83 SAR 29.38

$9.60 QAR 34.95

-18.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.77

$1.92 QAR 6.98

-6.25%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.95

$2.20 QAR 8.02

8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.50 SAR 28.15

$6.56 QAR 23.90

14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.53 QAR 1.94

101.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.34 SAR 140

$27.37 QAR 99.6

36.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 SAR 11.69

$1.89 QAR 6.90

64.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

$2.10 QAR 7.64

-13.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.23 SAR 49.66

$13.52 QAR 49.20

-2.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$0.55 QAR 1.99

18.18%

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

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

$28.2K QAR 102.8K

22.69%

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

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

$22.5K QAR 82.0K

1.58%

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

$106 SAR 396

$86.1 QAR 314

22.49%

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

$29.61 SAR 111

$34.37 QAR 125

-13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 SAR 265

$85.4 QAR 311

-17.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.6 SAR 344

$124 QAR 453

-26.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

$18.45 QAR 67.2

208.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$12.19 QAR 44.36

7.38%

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

$523 SAR 1,963

$672 QAR 2,447

-22.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

$9,561 QAR 34.8K

7.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 SAR 221

$59.5 QAR 216

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 SAR 199

$52.9 QAR 192

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SAR 379

$99.6 QAR 362

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SAR 386

$84.9 QAR 309

21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 SAR 4,425

$1,881 QAR 6,845

-37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,122

$1,178 QAR 4,288

-29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 SAR 8,359

$3,522 QAR 12.8K

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 SAR 4,595

$2,266 QAR 8,250

-45.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

$4,083 QAR 14.9K

-26.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,913 SAR 7,177

$2,377 QAR 8,654

-19.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,067 SAR 7,757

$3,299 QAR 12.0K

-37.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.92

-6.42%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Doha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$832 47.9%

Doha

$1.2K 56.1% 41.6% $346

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$242 13.9%

Doha

$216 10.3% 10.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$206 11.8%

Doha

$206 9.8% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Doha

$178 8.5% 22.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$142 8.2%

Doha

$134 6.4% 6% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$118 6.8%

Doha

$149 7.1% 26.3% $31

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Doha

$42 2% 22.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Riyadh versus $1,881 in Doha. 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 60% higher in Doha, 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 $69.0 in Doha. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Riyadh vs $216 in Doha – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇶🇦 Doha

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

1,312,947 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Riyadh Doha 490 km

From you

Riyadh
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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 Doha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,607 per month in Riyadh and $3,152 in Doha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 36% less in Riyadh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $523 per month in Riyadh and $672 in Doha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Riyadh, where all-in costs run around $1,738, than in Doha at $2,102. In Riyadh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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