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: $1,776 in Riyadh versus $1,024 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,477 in Riyadh versus $1,456 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,177 in Riyadh versus $1,889 in Ha'il.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 73% more expensive than Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 32% above, Ha'il is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$6.74 SAR 25.31

19.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 SAR 197

$25.47 SAR 95.6

106.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 SAR 30.29

$7.23 SAR 27.11

11.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.06 SAR 3.96

60.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.43

$2.09 SAR 7.84

7.66%

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.04

$3.29 SAR 12.36

21.88%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$1.03 SAR 3.87

-32.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-9.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$0.85 SAR 3.19

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.10

$1.86 SAR 6.97

30.65%

Eggs

$2.66 SAR 9.96

$1.96 SAR 7.36

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 SAR 32.27

$6.81 SAR 25.54

26.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 SAR 37.53

$8.49 SAR 31.84

17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 SAR 54.8

$8.41 SAR 31.58

73.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$1.54 SAR 5.79

52.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.57 SAR 5.89

8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.77

$1.31 SAR 4.90

37.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$1.95 SAR 7.32

-20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

$1.29 SAR 4.86

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.48

$1.59 SAR 5.96

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 SAR 5.47

$1.06 SAR 3.98

37.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.49 SAR 1.83

12.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.76 SAR 29.11

$2.74 SAR 10.27

183.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-1.69%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.65

$2.08 SAR 7.80

11.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 SAR 26.74

$7.05 SAR 26.45

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.09 SAR 4.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.03 SAR 143

$40.68 SAR 153

-6.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 SAR 12.16

$2.65 SAR 9.93

22.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 SAR 50.9

$13.51 SAR 50.7

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$0.58 SAR 2.18

8.62%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

29.21%

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

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

4.11%

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

$103 SAR 385

$53.4 SAR 200

92.02%

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

$34.54 SAR 130

$21.53 SAR 80.8

60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 SAR 283

$46.44 SAR 174

62.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 395

$66.9 SAR 251

57.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.2 SAR 218

$36.13 SAR 136

61.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.79 SAR 59.3

$14.85 SAR 55.7

6.33%

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

$459 SAR 1,723

$356 SAR 1,336

28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,401 SAR 35.3K

$7,030 SAR 26.4K

33.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 SAR 226

$59.9 SAR 225

0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 SAR 241

$60.8 SAR 228

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SAR 399

$79.5 SAR 298

33.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$81.2 SAR 305

23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$490 SAR 1,840

120.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,185

$326 SAR 1,223

160.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 SAR 7,654

$440 SAR 1,652

363.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 SAR 4,227

$362 SAR 1,360

210.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,124 SAR 11.7K

$2,399 SAR 9,004

30.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 SAR 7,362

$1,311 SAR 4,921

49.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,263 SAR 8,490

$1,066 SAR 3,999

112.33%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Riyadh and $490 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 112% 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: $52.0 in Riyadh vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $178 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 73% 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.

Riyadh pays 112% more on average, 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: $1,083 in Riyadh versus $490 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Riyadh versus $356 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,776 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 $1,024 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 73% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.