Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,719 in Riyadh versus $1,011 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,562 in Riyadh versus $1,581 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,405 in Riyadh versus $2,152 in Ha'il.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 70% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 26% above, Ha'il is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 SAR 29.37

$5.21 SAR 19.57

50.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 SAR 239

$37.78 SAR 142

68.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.51

$6.12 SAR 22.98

28.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$1.18 SAR 4.44

77.12%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.21

$2.00 SAR 7.52

49.00%

Cappuccino

$4.54 SAR 17.04

$2.63 SAR 9.87

72.62%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.13

$0.61 SAR 2.29

36.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.24 SAR 0.89

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$0.84 SAR 3.16

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.58

$1.89 SAR 7.10

20.63%

Eggs

$3.06 SAR 11.49

$1.94 SAR 7.27

57.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.64

$6.82 SAR 25.63

46.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 SAR 38.17

$8.52 SAR 32.01

19.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 SAR 59.0

$8.27 SAR 31.06

89.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$1.54 SAR 5.79

75.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.99

$1.57 SAR 5.90

18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.53

$1.25 SAR 4.68

81.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.04 SAR 7.68

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 SAR 4.54

$1.32 SAR 4.94

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.61 SAR 6.05

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.14 SAR 4.29

48.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$0.48 SAR 1.82

12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.89 SAR 29.62

$2.74 SAR 10.29

187.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

$1.69 SAR 6.34

9.47%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

$2.15 SAR 8.07

20.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 SAR 28.73

$6.47 SAR 24.29

18.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.10 SAR 4.14

-1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.95 SAR 139

$36.42 SAR 137

1.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 SAR 11.96

$2.87 SAR 10.77

10.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.9

$13.42 SAR 50.4

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$0.61 SAR 2.27

4.92%

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

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

$45.0K SAR 169.0K

-21.62%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$21.6K SAR 81.3K

2.64%

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

$100 SAR 376

$54.2 SAR 204

84.81%

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

$33.25 SAR 125

$21.14 SAR 79.4

57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 SAR 260

$46.43 SAR 174

48.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 SAR 341

$66.4 SAR 249

36.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.9 SAR 210

$36.77 SAR 138

52.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 SAR 50.6

$14.92 SAR 56.0

-9.72%

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

$537 SAR 2,016

$349 SAR 1,311

53.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K SAR 40.4K

$6,537 SAR 24.5K

64.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$50.8 SAR 191

17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 SAR 201

$59.0 SAR 221

-9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 415

$97.2 SAR 365

13.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 390

$89.9 SAR 337

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 SAR 4,390

$243 SAR 912

381.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 SAR 3,062

$344 SAR 1,292

137.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 SAR 8,112

$366 SAR 1,374

490.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 SAR 4,578

$540 SAR 2,030

125.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,930 SAR 11.0K

$2,363 SAR 8,874

23.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,934 SAR 7,264

$1,352 SAR 5,076

43.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,708

$1,084 SAR 4,070

89.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.47

1.28%

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

Last update for Riyadh: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,169 in Riyadh and $243 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 89% 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: $64.0 in Riyadh vs $38.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $179 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Riyadh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,169 in Riyadh versus $243 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Riyadh versus $349 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,719 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.