Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Unaizah

For one person, living is cheaper in Unaizah: $1,221 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
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Unaizah Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh and in Unaizah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,221 in Unaizah.

Riyadh $1,738
Unaizah $1,221

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Riyadh versus $1,813 in Unaizah.

Riyadh $2,575
Unaizah $1,813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Riyadh versus $2,405 in Unaizah.

Riyadh $3,413
Unaizah $2,405

Living in Riyadh is roughly 42% more expensive than in Unaizah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 29% above, Unaizah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 SAR 30.79

$6.68 SAR 25.07

22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 SAR 246

$40.07 SAR 150

63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.19

$7.05 SAR 26.48

14.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

$1.91 SAR 7.19

9.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

$1.83 SAR 6.88

56.28%

Cappuccino

$4.43 SAR 16.64

$4.40 SAR 16.52

0.68%

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

$0.28 SAR 1.06

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$1.64 SAR 6.17

9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$0.44 SAR 1.67

193.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$2.27 SAR 8.51

3.08%

Eggs

$3.11 SAR 11.67

$4.76 SAR 17.87

-34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 SAR 39.96

$4.55 SAR 17.09

134.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 SAR 35.12

$4.66 SAR 17.50

100.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$12.69 SAR 47.64

18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 SAR 10.95

$1.82 SAR 6.83

60.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$1.82 SAR 6.85

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$2.00 SAR 7.51

-15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$2.11 SAR 7.92

-44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.28 SAR 4.81

36.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.64 SAR 2.40

-17.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.91 SAR 29.69

$2.82 SAR 10.60

180.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$2.01 SAR 7.53

-13.93%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.16 SAR 8.09

10.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$6.74 SAR 25.29

16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 SAR 3.86

$0.95 SAR 3.56

8.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.93 SAR 139

$40.56 SAR 152

-8.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.10

$2.60 SAR 9.76

23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$1.57 SAR 5.88

21.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.08 SAR 49.10

$16.03 SAR 60.2

-18.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.55 SAR 2.08

16.36%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$27.6K SAR 103.5K

-3.54%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$21.7K SAR 81.6K

3.00%

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

$105 SAR 394

$103 SAR 386

2.21%

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

$29.43 SAR 110

$32.41 SAR 122

-9.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 SAR 260

$67.2 SAR 252

3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 SAR 291

$54.1 SAR 203

43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 SAR 209

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 SAR 52.6

$13.23 SAR 49.64

5.82%

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

$555 SAR 2,082

$471 SAR 1,767

17.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SAR 63.7K

$9,262 SAR 34.8K

83.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$45.34 SAR 170

28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$53.0 SAR 199

1.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$100 SAR 377

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 391

$80.4 SAR 302

29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 SAR 4,270

$588 SAR 2,207

93.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 SAR 3,160

$440 SAR 1,651

91.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 SAR 8,102

$760 SAR 2,853

184.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 SAR 4,739

$684 SAR 2,567

84.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

$2,056 SAR 7,716

31.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,655 SAR 6,211

$1,255 SAR 4,711

31.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,088 SAR 7,836

$2,550 SAR 9,570

-18.12%

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 Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$842 48.5%

Unaizah

$440 36% 47.7% $402

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Unaizah

$187 15.3% 22.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$204 11.7%

Unaizah

$202 16.6% 0.7% $1.4

Eating Out

Riyadh

$148 8.5%

Unaizah

$131 10.8% 11.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Unaizah

$126 10.3% 13% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$105 6.1%

Unaizah

$81 6.6% 23.6% $25

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Unaizah

$55 4.5% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,138 in Riyadh and $588 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Riyadh vs $40 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $187 per month, with Unaizah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

163,729

💱 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

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Riyadh Unaizah 320 km

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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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,221 in Unaizah, so Unaizah is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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: $1,138 in Riyadh versus $588 in Unaizah. 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 $1,221 in Unaizah – Unaizah is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Riyadh runs roughly 9% less than in Unaizah. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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