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: $1,753 in Riyadh versus $1,041 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Riyadh versus $1,491 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Riyadh versus $1,940 in Ha'il.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 68% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 32% above, Ha'il is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 SAR 29.26

$6.57 SAR 24.68

18.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 SAR 198

$25.76 SAR 96.8

104.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 SAR 30.64

$7.13 SAR 26.76

14.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.09 SAR 4.09

63.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.26

$2.10 SAR 7.88

4.76%

Cappuccino

$3.99 SAR 14.97

$3.27 SAR 12.26

22.02%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$1.01 SAR 3.78

-23.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$0.81 SAR 3.03

62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$1.91 SAR 7.18

24.08%

Eggs

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$1.95 SAR 7.31

34.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 SAR 30.75

$6.63 SAR 24.89

23.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 SAR 37.14

$8.92 SAR 33.48

10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 SAR 54.3

$8.48 SAR 31.86

70.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.36

$1.55 SAR 5.83

43.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.52 SAR 5.69

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.26 SAR 4.72

42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 5.99

$2.02 SAR 7.60

-20.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.34 SAR 5.04

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$1.56 SAR 5.85

-3.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 SAR 5.19

$1.06 SAR 3.97

30.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.49 SAR 1.85

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.05 SAR 30.22

$2.43 SAR 9.11

231.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.68 SAR 6.32

5.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.66

$2.08 SAR 7.82

11.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SAR 27.68

$7.02 SAR 26.34

4.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.08 SAR 4.07

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.91 SAR 139

$39.94 SAR 150

-7.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.22

$2.70 SAR 10.16

20.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$1.82 SAR 6.83

4.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.4

$13.09 SAR 49.14

2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$0.59 SAR 2.23

6.78%

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

$35.2K SAR 132.3K

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

29.70%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.8K

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

1.81%

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

$103 SAR 387

$54.0 SAR 203

90.87%

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

$34.99 SAR 131

$21.59 SAR 81.1

62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 SAR 284

$46.03 SAR 173

64.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SAR 404

$66.3 SAR 249

62.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.7 SAR 224

$36.21 SAR 136

64.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 SAR 60.9

$14.70 SAR 55.2

10.41%

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

$457 SAR 1,714

$352 SAR 1,320

29.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 SAR 35.4K

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

33.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 SAR 224

$59.2 SAR 222

0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 SAR 238

$60.4 SAR 227

5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 SAR 407

$77.9 SAR 292

39.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 SAR 372

$80.6 SAR 303

22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 SAR 4,102

$498 SAR 1,871

119.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,128

$330 SAR 1,241

152.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 SAR 7,540

$440 SAR 1,651

356.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 SAR 4,243

$361 SAR 1,355

213.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,954 SAR 11.1K

$2,366 SAR 8,885

24.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 SAR 7,379

$1,332 SAR 5,001

47.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,099 SAR 7,883

$1,064 SAR 3,994

97.37%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,092 in Riyadh and $498 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 97% 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: $53.0 in Riyadh vs $26.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $180 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 68% 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 97% 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: $1,092 in Riyadh versus $498 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Riyadh versus $352 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,753 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 $1,041 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 68% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.