Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,173 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
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Umluj Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Umluj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,173 in Umluj.

Riyadh $1,738
Umluj $1,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Riyadh versus $1,748 in Umluj.

Riyadh $2,587
Umluj $1,748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,437 in Riyadh versus $2,323 in Umluj.

Riyadh $3,437
Umluj $2,323

Living in Riyadh is roughly 48% more expensive than in Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 28% above, Umluj is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.37

$5.94 SAR 22.30

36.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 SAR 245

$37.56 SAR 141

73.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.68

$8.06 SAR 30.22

1.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$1.90 SAR 7.13

13.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

$2.28 SAR 8.55

30.26%

Cappuccino

$4.30 SAR 16.13

$3.19 SAR 11.96

34.80%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.18

$0.84 SAR 3.15

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.26 SAR 0.98

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.73 SAR 6.48

5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$1.30 SAR 4.89

0.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$2.25 SAR 8.45

5.33%

Eggs

$3.04 SAR 11.41

$2.42 SAR 9.08

25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.40

$7.54 SAR 28.30

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 SAR 35.17

$7.99 SAR 29.97

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$12.85 SAR 48.21

16.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

$2.22 SAR 8.33

28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.75 SAR 6.56

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.25

$1.63 SAR 6.12

51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.55 SAR 5.82

10.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.22 SAR 4.58

-3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$1.27 SAR 4.76

0.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.20 SAR 4.51

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.16

$0.53 SAR 2.01

9.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.58

$2.96 SAR 11.12

175.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.79 SAR 6.72

1.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

$2.08 SAR 7.79

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$6.45 SAR 24.21

21.71%

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

$36.66 SAR 138

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.74

$2.68 SAR 10.04

16.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$1.89 SAR 7.08

1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.31 SAR 49.91

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

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

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

$29.1K SAR 109.3K

-10.13%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

1.73%

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

$108 SAR 403

$106 SAR 396

1.89%

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

$29.62 SAR 111

$32.42 SAR 122

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 SAR 266

$66.6 SAR 250

6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 SAR 311

$81.3 SAR 305

2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 SAR 49.94

$13.09 SAR 49.11

1.68%

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

$554 SAR 2,077

$423 SAR 1,586

30.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

$7,811 SAR 29.3K

29.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 SAR 216

$42.28 SAR 159

36.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$54.5 SAR 204

-0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$96.5 SAR 362

7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$86.0 SAR 323

21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 SAR 4,310

$570 SAR 2,139

101.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,127

$364 SAR 1,365

129.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 SAR 8,125

$809 SAR 3,034

167.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 SAR 4,786

$567 SAR 2,127

124.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

$2,340 SAR 8,777

18.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,718 SAR 6,443

$1,355 SAR 5,085

26.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,699

$4,290 SAR 16.1K

-52.16%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Umluj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$833 48%

Umluj

$364 31% 56.3% $470

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Umluj

$203 17.4% 15.7% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 12%

Umluj

$205 17.5% 1.7% $3.6

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Umluj

$114 9.8% 21.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Umluj

$126 10.7% 13% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$110 6.3%

Umluj

$107 9.2% 2% $2.2

Getting Around

Riyadh

$55 3.2%

Umluj

$53 4.5% 3.2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,149 in Riyadh and $570 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays about 2.1 times 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 $38 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $203 per month, with Umluj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

37,757

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Riyadh Umluj 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
Umluj

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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,173 in Umluj, so Umluj is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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 $570 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,738 per month in Riyadh versus $1,173 in Umluj – Umluj is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Umluj runs roughly 4% less than in Riyadh. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Umluj 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 Umluj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.