Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Riyadh: $1,768 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,768 in Riyadh versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Riyadh $1,768
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Riyadh versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Riyadh $2,557
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Riyadh versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Riyadh $3,345
Dubai $5,788

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 38% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 32% above, Dubai 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$13.04 AED 47.89

-37.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 SAR 250

$81.4 AED 299

-18.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.47

$9.32 AED 34.25

-12.98%

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

$5.97 AED 21.93

-27.30%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.63 AED 5.98

-47.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.81 AED 2.99

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.81 AED 6.64

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$1.57 AED 5.78

-15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

$2.49 AED 9.16

-3.61%

Eggs

$3.06 SAR 11.48

$3.28 AED 12.04

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 SAR 39.91

$12.67 AED 46.53

-16.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 SAR 36.05

$9.75 AED 35.80

-1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.3

$13.18 AED 48.40

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

$2.61 AED 9.57

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.45

$1.93 AED 7.09

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 SAR 9.43

$1.92 AED 7.05

30.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$1.36 AED 5.00

32.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.45

$1.17 AED 4.29

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.01

$1.01 AED 3.71

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.51 AED 5.56

18.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.03

$0.62 AED 2.29

-12.90%

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

$5.85 AED 21.50

28.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.96

$1.64 AED 6.03

-35.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.18 SAR 140

$73.6 AED 270

-49.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$3.17 AED 11.66

3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

$0.71 AED 2.63

169.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.5

$7.96 AED 29.23

68.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$0.99 AED 3.64

-34.34%

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

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

26.52%

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

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

1.31%

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

$106 SAR 397

$250 AED 920

-57.80%

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

$29.10 SAR 109

$54.2 AED 199

-46.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$91.8 AED 337

-20.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 SAR 343

$98.6 AED 362

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.4 SAR 212

$42.61 AED 156

32.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 SAR 49.58

$16.03 AED 58.9

-17.65%

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

$532 SAR 1,999

$843 AED 3,098

-36.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-43.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 SAR 215

$68.0 AED 250

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$57.9 AED 213

-5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 393

$101 AED 370

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SAR 397

$101 AED 371

4.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 SAR 4,547

$2,380 AED 8,741

-49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 SAR 3,132

$1,506 AED 5,531

-44.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 SAR 8,346

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 SAR 4,658

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-58.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-57.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 SAR 7,274

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-53.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 SAR 7,648

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-39.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.54

22.03%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$834 47.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 80.6% $672

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$242 13.9%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 20.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 11.9%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 91% $189

Eating Out

Riyadh

$146 8.4%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 112% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$145 8.3%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 1.7% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$118 6.8%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 10.9% $13

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Dubai

$87 3% 60.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Riyadh and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 66% 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: $66.0 in Riyadh vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $293 per month, with Riyadh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

08:46 8:46 AM

1 h ahead of Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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 = 0.237 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Riyadh Dubai 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,211 in Riyadh versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Riyadh runs roughly 98% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $532 in Riyadh versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,768 in Riyadh versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Riyadh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Dubai 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.