Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Qatif

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Riyadh and in Qatif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,102 in Qatif.

Riyadh $1,738
Qatif $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Riyadh versus $1,640 in Qatif.

Riyadh $2,587
Qatif $1,640

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,437 in Riyadh versus $2,178 in Qatif.

Riyadh $3,437
Qatif $2,178

Living in Riyadh is roughly 58% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 28% above, Qatif is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.38

$3.50 SAR 13.15

131.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 SAR 245

$34.91 SAR 131

87.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.69

$6.52 SAR 24.48

25.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$1.88 SAR 7.04

14.89%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

$2.24 SAR 8.39

32.59%

Cappuccino

$4.30 SAR 16.14

$3.10 SAR 11.62

38.71%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.18

$0.77 SAR 2.89

10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.19 SAR 0.72

57.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.78 SAR 6.68

2.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$0.91 SAR 3.42

43.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$1.92 SAR 7.20

23.44%

Eggs

$3.04 SAR 11.41

$2.10 SAR 7.89

44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.41

$5.90 SAR 22.14

82.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 SAR 35.18

$7.90 SAR 29.64

18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$12.64 SAR 47.44

18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

$2.29 SAR 8.58

24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.71 SAR 6.41

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.26

$1.59 SAR 5.95

55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

$0.67 SAR 2.52

155.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.08 SAR 4.05

9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$1.13 SAR 4.26

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

$0.95 SAR 3.58

87.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.55 SAR 2.07

5.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.59

$2.60 SAR 9.77

213.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.50 SAR 5.64

21.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

$2.21 SAR 8.31

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.46

$6.26 SAR 23.48

25.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-4.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 SAR 143

$36.50 SAR 137

4.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.75

$2.46 SAR 9.22

27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$0.55 SAR 2.07

247.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.31 SAR 49.93

$13.24 SAR 49.70

0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$0.61 SAR 2.29

-1.64%

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

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-9.90%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

9.36%

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

$108 SAR 404

$104 SAR 388

3.90%

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

$29.62 SAR 111

$32.15 SAR 121

-7.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 SAR 266

$59.3 SAR 222

19.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 SAR 312

$79.4 SAR 298

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$21.38 SAR 80.2

167.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 SAR 49.96

$13.07 SAR 49.03

1.84%

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

$554 SAR 2,077

$264 SAR 992

109.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

28.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 SAR 217

$32.16 SAR 121

79.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$21.10 SAR 79.2

158.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$95.5 SAR 358

9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$90.7 SAR 340

15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 SAR 4,312

$586 SAR 2,199

96.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,128

$374 SAR 1,402

123.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 SAR 8,127

$807 SAR 3,029

168.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 SAR 4,788

$578 SAR 2,171

120.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

$943 SAR 3,537

194.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,718 SAR 6,446

$796 SAR 2,987

115.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,702

$2,257 SAR 8,471

-9.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.5

0.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$833 48%

Qatif

$374 33.9% 55.2% $460

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Qatif

$185 16.8% 23.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 12%

Qatif

$195 17.7% 6.3% $13

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Qatif

$89 8% 39.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 25.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$110 6.3%

Qatif

$106 9.6% 3.8% $4.1

Getting Around

Riyadh

$55 3.2%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 16.1% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,149 in Riyadh and $586 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65 in Riyadh vs $35 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $185 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

87,332

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,102 in Qatif, so Qatif is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Riyadh. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,149 in Riyadh versus $586 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qatif – a meal for two runs $35 versus $65 in Riyadh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,738 per month in Riyadh versus $1,102 in Qatif – Qatif is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Qatif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Riyadh and Qatif are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.