Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Khamis Mushayt Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Khamis Mushayt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in Riyadh versus $952 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Riyadh versus $1,562 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,304 in Riyadh versus $2,172 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 83% more expensive than Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 30% above, Khamis Mushayt is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 SAR 30.82

$6.83 SAR 25.65

20.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$42.60 SAR 160

24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.45

$6.94 SAR 26.06

16.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-2.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SAR 8.37

$1.78 SAR 6.70

25.28%

Cappuccino

$4.09 SAR 15.34

$5.35 SAR 20.09

-23.55%

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

$0.71 SAR 2.66

$0.75 SAR 2.82

-5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.26 SAR 0.97

11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$0.35 SAR 1.32

265.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$1.92 SAR 7.21

22.40%

Eggs

$2.73 SAR 10.23

$4.37 SAR 16.39

-37.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SAR 32.44

$6.63 SAR 24.87

30.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.62

$7.67 SAR 28.78

30.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 SAR 54.7

$15.41 SAR 57.8

-5.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$2.24 SAR 8.40

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.43 SAR 5.38

22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$1.05 SAR 3.93

76.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$1.97 SAR 7.40

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.82

$1.70 SAR 6.40

-24.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

$1.38 SAR 5.20

6.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

$1.25 SAR 4.67

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.99

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-18.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.16 SAR 30.61

$3.11 SAR 11.68

162.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.69 SAR 6.35

1.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.10 SAR 7.87

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.29

$7.83 SAR 29.37

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.73 SAR 138

$40.19 SAR 151

-8.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$2.65 SAR 9.93

23.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$2.02 SAR 7.59

-8.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 SAR 50.6

$13.45 SAR 50.5

0.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$0.63 SAR 2.37

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

$34.1K SAR 128.0K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

28.66%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

4.47%

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

$104 SAR 391

$106 SAR 399

-1.93%

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

$34.25 SAR 129

$34.38 SAR 129

-0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$71.5 SAR 268

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 394

$89.5 SAR 336

17.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 SAR 219

$35.37 SAR 133

64.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SAR 60.7

$15.61 SAR 58.6

3.59%

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

$457 SAR 1,716

$346 SAR 1,300

31.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

$7,039 SAR 26.4K

38.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$58.8 SAR 221

1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 SAR 241

$60.7 SAR 228

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SAR 400

$77.8 SAR 292

37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$82.3 SAR 309

21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SAR 4,023

$159 SAR 597

573.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 SAR 3,158

$108 SAR 404

680.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 SAR 7,608

$406 SAR 1,523

399.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 SAR 4,092

$282 SAR 1,059

286.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

$2,505 SAR 9,402

22.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,931 SAR 7,246

$1,144 SAR 4,294

68.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,252 SAR 8,452

$1,619 SAR 6,078

39.06%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Riyadh and $159 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 39% 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 $43.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $205 per month, with Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Riyadh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Riyadh pays 39% 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: $1,072 in Riyadh versus $159 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 9% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Riyadh versus $346 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,739 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $952 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.