Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Tabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,178 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
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Tabuk Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,178

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Tabuk

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 Tabuk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,178 in Tabuk.

Riyadh $1,738
Tabuk $1,178

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Riyadh versus $1,766 in Tabuk.

Riyadh $2,575
Tabuk $1,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Riyadh versus $2,354 in Tabuk.

Riyadh $3,413
Tabuk $2,354

Living in Riyadh is roughly 48% more expensive than in Tabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 29% above, Tabuk is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 SAR 30.79

$7.33 SAR 27.50

11.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 SAR 246

$31.31 SAR 118

109.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$7.55 SAR 28.34

6.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$1.35 SAR 5.05

55.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

$1.60 SAR 6.01

78.75%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$3.13 SAR 11.76

41.53%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.28

$0.73 SAR 2.73

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 SAR 1.25

$0.26 SAR 0.97

26.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$1.89 SAR 7.11

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$0.91 SAR 3.40

41.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-12.69%

Eggs

$3.11 SAR 11.67

$2.95 SAR 11.06

5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 SAR 39.96

$12.63 SAR 47.41

-15.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 SAR 35.12

$6.74 SAR 25.29

38.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$12.74 SAR 47.81

18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 SAR 10.95

$1.95 SAR 7.31

49.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$1.67 SAR 6.28

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$1.81 SAR 6.78

37.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$2.14 SAR 8.04

-20.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.69 SAR 6.36

-30.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$2.09 SAR 7.86

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.60 SAR 2.24

-11.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.91 SAR 29.69

$2.86 SAR 10.72

176.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.83 SAR 6.86

-5.46%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.08 SAR 7.80

14.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$6.62 SAR 24.86

18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 SAR 3.86

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-1.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.93 SAR 139

$36.23 SAR 136

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.10

$2.70 SAR 10.14

19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$1.69 SAR 6.34

13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.08 SAR 49.10

$14.98 SAR 56.2

-12.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-1.54%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$27.0K SAR 101.5K

-1.59%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$20.4K SAR 76.6K

9.73%

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

$105 SAR 394

$104 SAR 392

0.55%

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

$29.43 SAR 110

$36.05 SAR 135

-18.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 SAR 260

$75.8 SAR 284

-8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 SAR 291

$79.5 SAR 298

-2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 SAR 209

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 SAR 52.6

$13.35 SAR 50.1

4.87%

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

$555 SAR 2,082

$428 SAR 1,605

29.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SAR 63.7K

$8,508 SAR 31.9K

99.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$40.00 SAR 150

45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$47.44 SAR 178

13.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$90.1 SAR 338

15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 391

$91.1 SAR 342

14.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 SAR 4,270

$309 SAR 1,159

268.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 SAR 3,160

$338 SAR 1,270

148.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 SAR 8,102

$556 SAR 2,087

288.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 SAR 4,739

$567 SAR 2,128

122.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

$1,966 SAR 7,379

37.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,655 SAR 6,212

$1,192 SAR 4,474

38.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,088 SAR 7,837

$1,716 SAR 6,442

21.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$842 48.5%

Tabuk

$338 28.7% 59.8% $504

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Tabuk

$222 18.8% 7.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$204 11.7%

Tabuk

$216 18.4% 6.1% $13

Eating Out

Riyadh

$148 8.5%

Tabuk

$123 10.4% 16.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Tabuk

$121 10.3% 16.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$105 6.1%

Tabuk

$106 9% 0.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Tabuk

$52 4.4% 4.2% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,138 in Riyadh and $309 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 22% 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: $66 in Riyadh vs $31 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $222 per month, with Tabuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

512,629

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Riyadh Tabuk 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
Tabuk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,178 in Tabuk, so Tabuk is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,138 in Riyadh versus $309 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Riyadh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,738 per month in Riyadh versus $1,178 in Tabuk – Tabuk is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,178 in Tabuk versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Tabuk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tabuk wins on affordability, Riyadh on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.