Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Taif

For one person, living is cheaper in Taif: $1,255 a month against $1,740 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Taif
Learn more

Taif Living Index

Jump to prices

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,740

/mo nomad

Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Taif

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Riyadh versus $1,255 in Taif.

Riyadh $1,740
Taif $1,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Riyadh versus $1,844 in Taif.

Riyadh $2,559
Taif $1,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,378 in Riyadh versus $2,434 in Taif.

Riyadh $3,378
Taif $2,434

Living in Riyadh is roughly 39% more expensive than in Taif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 28% above, Taif is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 SAR 29.47

$5.35 SAR 20.09

46.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 SAR 244

$38.34 SAR 144

69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.43

$7.40 SAR 27.76

9.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.06

$2.17 SAR 8.13

-0.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.15

$1.30 SAR 4.87

128.46%

Cappuccino

$4.16 SAR 15.62

$2.16 SAR 8.12

92.59%

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

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$0.69 SAR 2.60

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.21

$0.22 SAR 0.84

45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$0.26 SAR 0.97

384.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.27

$2.32 SAR 8.69

6.47%

Eggs

$3.16 SAR 11.85

$2.60 SAR 9.75

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 SAR 38.91

$6.02 SAR 22.60

72.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 SAR 36.80

$6.76 SAR 25.35

45.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 SAR 55.4

$9.18 SAR 34.45

60.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 SAR 10.99

$2.32 SAR 8.71

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.41

$1.79 SAR 6.72

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 SAR 9.51

$1.89 SAR 7.07

33.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

$1.85 SAR 6.93

-2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.29 SAR 4.85

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$1.50 SAR 5.62

-11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

$0.92 SAR 3.44

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.12

$0.83 SAR 3.10

-32.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.00 SAR 30.03

$2.97 SAR 11.14

169.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$1.45 SAR 5.43

24.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SAR 9.00

$2.02 SAR 7.57

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.77 SAR 29.15

$6.59 SAR 24.72

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.04 SAR 3.91

0.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.01 SAR 139

$36.81 SAR 138

0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 SAR 11.63

$1.30 SAR 4.87

138.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$2.03 SAR 7.60

-7.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.8

$9.34 SAR 35.06

45.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.60 SAR 2.23

8.33%

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

$25.9K SAR 97.2K

$26.1K SAR 97.8K

-0.64%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.3K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

1.03%

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

$108 SAR 405

$142 SAR 531

-23.85%

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

$28.99 SAR 109

$27.78 SAR 104

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 SAR 271

$68.6 SAR 258

5.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.3 SAR 331

$146 SAR 550

-39.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.3 SAR 211

$13.36 SAR 50.1

321.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$20.00 SAR 75.1

-32.85%

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

$529 SAR 1,986

$183 SAR 688

188.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

$3,266 SAR 12.3K

208.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 SAR 221

$42.45 SAR 159

38.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 SAR 202

$57.0 SAR 214

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SAR 385

$96.0 SAR 360

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 SAR 383

$87.6 SAR 329

16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 SAR 4,392

$577 SAR 2,166

102.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 SAR 3,130

$377 SAR 1,415

121.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 SAR 8,372

$833 SAR 3,127

167.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 SAR 4,571

$571 SAR 2,144

113.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,007 SAR 11.3K

$2,370 SAR 8,893

26.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 SAR 7,169

$1,346 SAR 5,050

41.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 SAR 7,795

$1,574 SAR 5,906

31.99%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Taif: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$834 48%

Taif

$377 30.1% 54.8% $457

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$243 14%

Taif

$179 14.3% 26.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$209 12%

Taif

$238 19% 13.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$143 8.2%

Taif

$127 10.2% 10.9% $16

Eating Out

Riyadh

$142 8.2%

Taif

$95 7.5% 33.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$115 6.6%

Taif

$186 14.9% 62% $71

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Taif

$52 4.2% 2.4% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in Riyadh and $577 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 32% 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: $65.0 in Riyadh vs $38.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $179 per month, with Taif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Taif

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

579,970

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riyadh Taif 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
Taif

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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh and Taif differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,740 vs $1,255 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,170 in Riyadh versus $577 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,740 per month in Riyadh versus $1,255 in Taif – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taif runs roughly 1% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,255 in Taif versus $1,740 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Taif 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 Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.