Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Abu Halifa

For one person, living is cheaper in Abu Halifa: $1,267 a month against $1,396 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Sabah Al Salem despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
Learn more

Sabah Al Salem Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Abu Halifa
Learn more

Abu Halifa Living Index

Jump to prices

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,396

/mo nomad

Abu Halifa

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sabah Al Salem and in Abu Halifa

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $1,267 in Abu Halifa, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $1,396
Abu Halifa $1,267

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $2,050 in Abu Halifa, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $2,436
Abu Halifa $2,050

A family of three spends $3,476 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $2,833 in Abu Halifa, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $3,476
Abu Halifa $2,833

Sabah Al Salem costs about 10% more than Abu Halifa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sabah Al Salem sits 3% above the global median, while Abu Halifa is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 KWD 2.52

$6.26 KWD 1.93

30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 KWD 21.90

$27.65 KWD 8.52

157.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 KWD 2.87

$7.88 KWD 2.43

18.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

$2.42 KWD 0.75

35.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$2.24 KWD 0.69

40.62%

Cappuccino

$6.42 KWD 1.98

$5.29 KWD 1.63

21.36%

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

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.69 KWD 0.21

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.29 KWD 0.09

62.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$1.56 KWD 0.48

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$0.93 KWD 0.29

36.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KWD 0.63

$1.87 KWD 0.58

10.16%

Eggs

$3.03 KWD 0.93

$2.13 KWD 0.66

42.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 KWD 2.22

$3.14 KWD 0.97

129.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 KWD 1.65

$6.40 KWD 1.97

-16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 KWD 3.09

$9.48 KWD 2.92

5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

$2.52 KWD 0.78

-4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 KWD 0.57

$1.91 KWD 0.59

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$0.95 KWD 0.29

32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$0.67 KWD 0.21

131.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$0.99 KWD 0.31

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

$0.67 KWD 0.21

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$1.63 KWD 0.50

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.53 KWD 0.16

-13.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.59 KWD 1.11

$3.19 KWD 0.98

12.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.00 KWD 0.31

-12.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 KWD 0.94

$2.65 KWD 0.82

15.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 KWD 0.26

$0.83 KWD 0.26

1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 KWD 34.87

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KWD 0.91

$4.90 KWD 1.51

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 KWD 0.86

$3.18 KWD 0.98

-11.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.25 KWD 5.32

$16.28 KWD 5.02

5.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

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

$23.1K KWD 7,131

$21.1K KWD 6,491

9.86%

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

$19.3K KWD 5,954

$20.0K KWD 6,159

-3.32%

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

$38.63 KWD 11.90

$65.6 KWD 20.22

-41.13%

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

$24.10 KWD 7.42

$16.07 KWD 4.95

49.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.57 KWD 12.19

$16.20 KWD 4.99

144.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$126 KWD 38.97

$96.7 KWD 29.78

30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.43 KWD 11.84

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 KWD 3.41

$11.36 KWD 3.50

-2.64%

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

$277 KWD 85.3

$294 KWD 90.5

-5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,566 KWD 2,331

$5,054 KWD 1,557

49.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.49 KWD 11.55

$38.09 KWD 11.74

-1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.64 KWD 11.90

$38.61 KWD 11.90

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 KWD 29.95

$98.4 KWD 30.31

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 KWD 27.65

$88.6 KWD 27.28

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 KWD 249

$793 KWD 244

1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 KWD 165

$606 KWD 187

-11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 KWD 546

$1,787 KWD 550

-0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 KWD 408

$1,355 KWD 417

-2.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,922 KWD 900

$5,103 KWD 1,572

-42.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

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

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 19, 2026

Last update for Abu Halifa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sabah Al Salem

$536 38.4%

Abu Halifa

$606 47.9% 13.2% $71

Groceries & Markets

Sabah Al Salem

$184 13.2%

Abu Halifa

$159 12.6% 13.3% $25

Eating Out

Sabah Al Salem

$174 12.5%

Abu Halifa

$141 11.1% 19% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sabah Al Salem

$149 10.6%

Abu Halifa

$119 9.4% 19.7% $29

Getting Around

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.6%

Abu Halifa

$24 * 1.9% 81.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Sabah Al Salem

$118 8.5%

Abu Halifa

$119 9.4% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sabah Al Salem

$102 7.3%

Abu Halifa

$98 7.7% 4.3% $4.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $807 in Sabah Al Salem versus $793 in Abu Halifa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Abu Halifa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem versus $28.00 in Abu Halifa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $159 – making Abu Halifa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Abu Halifa

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Sabah Al Salem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,818

18,178

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sabah Al Salem Abu Halifa 15 km

From you

Sabah Al Salem
Abu Halifa

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

Sabah Al Salem vs Abu Halifa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sabah Al Salem is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,095 per month in Sabah Al Salem and $1,900 in Abu Halifa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abu Halifa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem and $28.00 in Abu Halifa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Sabah Al Salem, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abu Halifa, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Sabah Al Salem at $1,396. In Abu Halifa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sabah Al Salem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abu Halifa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Abu Halifa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sabah Al Salem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.