Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Hafar Al Batin Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Hafar Al Batin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,776 in Riyadh versus $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,477 in Riyadh versus $1,788 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,177 in Riyadh versus $2,362 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 46% more expensive than Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 32% above, Hafar Al Batin is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$5.27 SAR 19.76

52.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 SAR 197

$26.33 SAR 98.8

99.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 SAR 30.29

$6.37 SAR 23.91

26.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.55 SAR 5.83

9.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.43

$1.71 SAR 6.41

31.58%

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.04

$3.40 SAR 12.74

17.94%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.69 SAR 2.59

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.22 SAR 0.82

31.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.96 SAR 7.35

-16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$0.96 SAR 3.60

35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.10

$2.34 SAR 8.79

3.85%

Eggs

$2.66 SAR 9.96

$2.44 SAR 9.17

9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 SAR 32.27

$7.02 SAR 26.34

22.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 SAR 37.53

$7.28 SAR 27.31

37.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 SAR 54.8

$12.88 SAR 48.31

13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$2.19 SAR 8.22

7.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.56 SAR 5.87

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.77

$1.69 SAR 6.32

6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$1.61 SAR 6.06

-3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.48

$1.28 SAR 4.82

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 SAR 5.47

$1.19 SAR 4.46

22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.59 SAR 2.22

-6.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.76 SAR 29.11

$2.76 SAR 10.34

181.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

$1.70 SAR 6.36

2.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.65

$2.01 SAR 7.55

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 SAR 26.74

$7.14 SAR 26.79

-0.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.10 SAR 4.11

-0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.03 SAR 143

$40.08 SAR 150

-5.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 SAR 12.16

$2.60 SAR 9.75

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 SAR 50.9

$13.08 SAR 49.10

3.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$0.65 SAR 2.45

-3.08%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$26.7K SAR 100.1K

31.62%

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

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

1.00%

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

$103 SAR 385

$103 SAR 388

-0.73%

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

$34.54 SAR 130

$33.83 SAR 127

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 SAR 283

$72.6 SAR 272

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 395

$88.0 SAR 330

19.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.2 SAR 218

$35.54 SAR 133

63.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.79 SAR 59.3

$15.68 SAR 58.9

0.70%

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

$459 SAR 1,723

$347 SAR 1,302

32.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,401 SAR 35.3K

$7,024 SAR 26.4K

33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 SAR 226

$58.9 SAR 221

2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 SAR 241

$60.4 SAR 227

6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SAR 399

$78.5 SAR 294

35.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$82.3 SAR 309

21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$434 SAR 1,628

149.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,185

$380 SAR 1,425

123.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 SAR 7,654

$866 SAR 3,248

135.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 SAR 4,227

$617 SAR 2,317

82.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,124 SAR 11.7K

$2,030 SAR 7,617

53.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 SAR 7,362

$1,509 SAR 5,661

30.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,263 SAR 8,490

$1,379 SAR 5,174

64.09%

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 Hafar Al Batin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Riyadh and $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 64% 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 $26.00 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $198 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Riyadh pays 64% 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 $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Riyadh versus $347 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,776 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.