Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Al-jahra'

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-jahra': $1,239 a month against $1,406 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Al-jahra'
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Al-jahra' Living Index

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Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,406

/mo nomad

Al-jahra'

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sabah Al Salem and in Al-jahra'

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 Al-jahra' actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $1,239 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $1,406
Al-jahra' $1,239

A couple spends around $2,449 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $2,292 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $2,449
Al-jahra' $2,292

A family of three spends $3,492 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $3,344 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $3,492
Al-jahra' $3,344

Sabah Al Salem costs about 13% more than Al-jahra', and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sabah Al Salem sits 4% above the global median, while Al-jahra' is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 KWD 2.45

$12.85 KWD 3.96

-38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 KWD 21.75

$63.9 KWD 19.69

10.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 KWD 2.80

$8.99 KWD 2.77

1.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

$4.92 KWD 1.51

-36.18%

Cappuccino

$6.50 KWD 2.00

$5.33 KWD 1.64

21.95%

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

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.74 KWD 0.23

-36.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.31 KWD 0.10

51.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 KWD 0.60

$1.63 KWD 0.50

18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.46 KWD 0.45

-10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 KWD 0.66

$1.96 KWD 0.60

9.69%

Eggs

$3.00 KWD 0.93

$2.11 KWD 0.65

42.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 KWD 2.27

$4.24 KWD 1.31

73.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 KWD 1.65

$6.79 KWD 2.09

-21.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 KWD 3.17

$10.00 KWD 3.08

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 KWD 0.77

$2.42 KWD 0.75

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.93 KWD 0.59

-0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.85 KWD 0.57

-30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$1.55 KWD 0.48

-3.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

$1.31 KWD 0.40

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

$1.41 KWD 0.44

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$2.37 KWD 0.73

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 KWD 0.15

$0.58 KWD 0.18

-13.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.85 KWD 0.88

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-10.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.05 KWD 0.32

-16.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 KWD 0.38

$1.37 KWD 0.42

-8.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KWD 0.83

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 KWD 0.25

$0.76 KWD 0.23

7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 KWD 34.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 KWD 1.03

$4.79 KWD 1.47

-30.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 KWD 0.86

$3.17 KWD 0.98

-11.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 KWD 5.45

$16.36 KWD 5.04

8.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$0.33 KWD 0.10

6.06%

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

$21.4K KWD 6,587

$21.3K KWD 6,548

0.59%

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

$18.4K KWD 5,667

$20.6K KWD 6,335

-10.55%

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

$38.41 KWD 11.83

$20.20 KWD 6.22

90.15%

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

$23.71 KWD 7.31

$22.31 KWD 6.87

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.51 KWD 12.17

$30.02 KWD 9.25

31.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$131 KWD 40.25

$98.2 KWD 30.25

33.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.15 KWD 12.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 KWD 3.51

$11.08 KWD 3.41

2.80%

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

$270 KWD 83.3

$296 KWD 91.1

-8.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,430 KWD 2,289

$9,351 KWD 2,881

-20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 KWD 11.59

$37.34 KWD 11.51

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 KWD 12.16

$39.13 KWD 12.05

0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 KWD 30.56

$95.5 KWD 29.43

3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 KWD 27.00

$87.1 KWD 26.84

0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 KWD 246

$771 KWD 237

3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 KWD 166

$522 KWD 161

3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 KWD 535

$1,693 KWD 522

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 KWD 409

$1,520 KWD 468

-12.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,997 KWD 923

$2,909 KWD 896

3.04%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Al-jahra': October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sabah Al Salem

$538 38.3%

Al-jahra'

$522 42.2% 3% $16

Groceries & Markets

Sabah Al Salem

$188 13.3%

Al-jahra'

$186 15% 0.9% $1.7

Eating Out

Sabah Al Salem

$172 12.3%

Al-jahra'

$198 16% 14.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sabah Al Salem

$153 10.9%

Al-jahra'

$120 9.7% 21.6% $33

Getting Around

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.5%

Al-jahra'

$24 * 1.9% 82.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.5%

Al-jahra'

$117 9.4% 1.8% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sabah Al Salem

$102 7.2%

Al-jahra'

$73 5.9% 28.6% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Sabah Al Salem versus $771 in Al-jahra'. 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 3% higher in Sabah Al Salem, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Sabah Al Salem versus $64.0 in Al-jahra'. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $186 – making Al-jahra' the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Al-jahra'

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Sabah Al Salem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,818

393,432

💱 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

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Between locations

Sabah Al Salem Al-jahra' 40 km

From you

Sabah Al Salem
Al-jahra'

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 Al-jahra': Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sabah Al Salem is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,109 per month in Sabah Al Salem and $1,859 in Al-jahra'. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-jahra', 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 $64.0 in Al-jahra'. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 Al-jahra', where all-in costs run around $1,239, than in Sabah Al Salem at $1,406. In Al-jahra' it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sabah Al Salem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-jahra' – 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 Al-jahra'. 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.