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: $1,753 in Riyadh versus $1,213 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Riyadh versus $1,780 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Riyadh versus $2,348 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 45% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 32% above, Hafar Al Batin is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 SAR 29.26

$5.37 SAR 20.17

45.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 SAR 198

$26.16 SAR 98.2

101.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 SAR 30.64

$6.40 SAR 24.04

27.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.57 SAR 5.88

13.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.26

$1.76 SAR 6.62

25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.99 SAR 14.97

$3.54 SAR 13.28

12.71%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$0.64 SAR 2.40

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.24 SAR 0.91

29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.96 SAR 7.34

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$0.99 SAR 3.72

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$2.38 SAR 8.95

-0.42%

Eggs

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$2.46 SAR 9.23

6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 SAR 30.74

$7.04 SAR 26.42

16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 SAR 37.13

$7.48 SAR 28.08

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 SAR 54.3

$13.23 SAR 49.68

9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.36

$2.27 SAR 8.51

-1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.29

$1.64 SAR 6.14

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.73 SAR 6.48

3.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 5.99

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.29 SAR 4.83

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

$1.28 SAR 4.79

17.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 SAR 5.19

$1.23 SAR 4.61

12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.59 SAR 2.23

-5.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.05 SAR 30.21

$2.89 SAR 10.84

178.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.66

$2.01 SAR 7.54

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SAR 27.67

$6.93 SAR 26.01

6.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.04 SAR 3.91

5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.91 SAR 139

$40.05 SAR 150

-7.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.22

$2.73 SAR 10.25

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$1.93 SAR 7.23

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.3

$13.15 SAR 49.36

1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$0.67 SAR 2.51

-5.97%

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

$35.2K SAR 132.3K

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

33.17%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.8K

$22.0K SAR 82.6K

5.17%

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

$103 SAR 387

$105 SAR 394

-1.77%

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

$34.99 SAR 131

$33.09 SAR 124

5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 SAR 283

$72.5 SAR 272

4.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SAR 404

$88.2 SAR 331

22.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.7 SAR 224

$35.45 SAR 133

68.32%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 SAR 60.9

$15.51 SAR 58.2

4.64%

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

$457 SAR 1,714

$347 SAR 1,302

31.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 SAR 35.4K

$7,004 SAR 26.3K

34.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 SAR 224

$59.3 SAR 223

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 SAR 238

$60.1 SAR 225

5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 SAR 406

$78.6 SAR 295

37.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 SAR 372

$81.8 SAR 307

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 SAR 4,101

$441 SAR 1,657

147.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,127

$376 SAR 1,411

121.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 SAR 7,538

$849 SAR 3,188

136.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 SAR 4,242

$617 SAR 2,315

83.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,954 SAR 11.1K

$2,667 SAR 10.0K

10.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 SAR 7,378

$1,386 SAR 5,203

41.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,099 SAR 7,881

$1,422 SAR 5,340

47.60%

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 Hafar Al Batin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,092 in Riyadh and $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 48% 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 Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $202 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 45% 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.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 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 10% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,213 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,753 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 $1,213 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 45% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.