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: $1,770 in Riyadh versus $1,180 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,504 in Riyadh versus $1,758 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,239 in Riyadh versus $2,336 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 50% 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 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.12 SAR 30.46

$5.46 SAR 20.46

48.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$26.93 SAR 101

96.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.43

$6.35 SAR 23.81

27.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.56 SAR 5.85

13.46%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

$1.70 SAR 6.38

31.76%

Cappuccino

$4.15 SAR 15.56

$3.39 SAR 12.73

22.42%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.85

$0.70 SAR 2.62

8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.24 SAR 0.90

20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.09

$1.95 SAR 7.30

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$0.94 SAR 3.54

34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$2.32 SAR 8.69

5.60%

Eggs

$2.69 SAR 10.09

$2.51 SAR 9.40

7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 SAR 32.44

$6.99 SAR 26.21

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 SAR 38.13

$7.60 SAR 28.51

33.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.72 SAR 55.2

$12.88 SAR 48.31

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 SAR 8.46

$2.26 SAR 8.48

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.57 SAR 5.90

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

$1.69 SAR 6.35

6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.75

$1.55 SAR 5.82

-1.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.24 SAR 4.64

4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.69

$1.32 SAR 4.95

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 SAR 5.18

$1.23 SAR 4.62

12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.55 SAR 2.06

1.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.57

$2.87 SAR 10.77

183.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.51

$1.69 SAR 6.34

2.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 SAR 9.07

$2.03 SAR 7.62

19.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.23 SAR 27.12

$6.90 SAR 25.86

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.07

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 SAR 141

$40.03 SAR 150

-5.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.20

$2.64 SAR 9.91

23.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.92 SAR 7.18

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.50 SAR 50.6

$13.40 SAR 50.3

0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.66 SAR 2.48

-10.61%

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

$34.1K SAR 128.0K

$26.2K SAR 98.4K

30.07%

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

$23.6K SAR 88.4K

$22.0K SAR 82.4K

7.23%

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

$106 SAR 398

$103 SAR 388

2.77%

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

$35.49 SAR 133

$34.25 SAR 128

3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 SAR 283

$72.2 SAR 271

4.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SAR 404

$89.3 SAR 335

20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.7 SAR 220

$36.10 SAR 135

62.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 SAR 58.8

$15.51 SAR 58.2

1.16%

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

$449 SAR 1,685

$357 SAR 1,341

25.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,572 SAR 35.9K

$7,051 SAR 26.4K

35.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 SAR 219

$60.1 SAR 225

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 SAR 239

$60.5 SAR 227

5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 SAR 405

$77.7 SAR 291

38.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 SAR 369

$82.7 SAR 310

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SAR 4,118

$441 SAR 1,654

148.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 SAR 3,206

$387 SAR 1,453

120.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 SAR 7,762

$866 SAR 3,248

138.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 SAR 4,246

$614 SAR 2,301

84.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 SAR 11.0K

$2,315 SAR 8,682

26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 SAR 7,163

$1,349 SAR 5,059

41.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 SAR 8,947

$1,375 SAR 5,156

73.53%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,098 in Riyadh and $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 74% 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 in Riyadh vs $27 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $199 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 50% 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 74% 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: $1,098 in Riyadh versus $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Riyadh versus $357 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 13% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,180 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,770 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 $1,180 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 50% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.