Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Salmiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabah Al Salem: $1,396 a month against $1,633 in Salmiya, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Salmiya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Salmiya
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Salmiya Living Index

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Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,396

/mo nomad

Salmiya

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sabah Al Salem and in Salmiya

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $1,633 in Salmiya, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $1,396
Salmiya $1,633

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $2,420 in Salmiya, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $2,436
Salmiya $2,420

A family of three spends $3,476 per month in Sabah Al Salem vs $3,208 in Salmiya, rent included.

Sabah Al Salem $3,476
Salmiya $3,208

Sabah Al Salem is about 14% cheaper than Salmiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sabah Al Salem and Salmiya sit above the global median – Sabah Al Salem by 3%, Salmiya by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 KWD 2.52

$9.53 KWD 2.94

-14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 KWD 21.90

$47.53 KWD 14.64

49.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 KWD 2.87

$8.19 KWD 2.52

13.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

$2.34 KWD 0.72

40.60%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$2.55 KWD 0.78

23.53%

Cappuccino

$6.42 KWD 1.98

$5.16 KWD 1.59

24.42%

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

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.45 KWD 0.14

2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.31 KWD 0.10

51.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$1.59 KWD 0.49

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$0.67 KWD 0.21

89.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KWD 0.63

$1.98 KWD 0.61

4.04%

Eggs

$3.03 KWD 0.93

$2.06 KWD 0.63

47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 KWD 2.22

$4.34 KWD 1.34

66.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 KWD 1.65

$6.76 KWD 2.08

-21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 KWD 3.09

$10.27 KWD 3.17

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

$2.51 KWD 0.77

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 KWD 0.57

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-5.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.35 KWD 0.42

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

$1.48 KWD 0.46

-36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$2.33 KWD 0.72

-32.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.47 KWD 0.14

-2.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.59 KWD 1.11

$0.94 KWD 0.29

281.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.04 KWD 0.32

-15.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.37 KWD 0.42

1.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 KWD 0.94

$2.79 KWD 0.86

9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 KWD 0.26

$1.11 KWD 0.34

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 KWD 34.87

$48.63 KWD 14.98

132.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KWD 0.91

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-9.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 KWD 0.86

$3.23 KWD 1.00

-13.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.25 KWD 5.32

$10.32 KWD 3.18

67.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

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

$23.1K KWD 7,131

$23.5K KWD 7,253

-1.68%

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

$19.3K KWD 5,954

$19.7K KWD 6,063

-1.79%

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

$38.63 KWD 11.90

$48.23 KWD 14.86

-19.90%

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

$24.10 KWD 7.42

$22.71 KWD 7.00

6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.57 KWD 12.19

$30.34 KWD 9.35

30.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$126 KWD 38.97

$149 KWD 45.89

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.43 KWD 11.84

$15.79 KWD 4.87

143.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 KWD 3.41

$11.47 KWD 3.53

-3.57%

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

$277 KWD 85.3

$303 KWD 93.5

-8.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,566 KWD 2,331

$7,426 KWD 2,288

1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.49 KWD 11.55

$37.43 KWD 11.53

0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.64 KWD 11.90

$40.08 KWD 12.35

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 KWD 29.95

$97.4 KWD 30.00

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 KWD 27.65

$88.8 KWD 27.35

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 KWD 249

$1,069 KWD 329

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 KWD 165

$826 KWD 254

-35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 KWD 546

$2,370 KWD 730

-25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 KWD 408

$1,302 KWD 401

1.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,922 KWD 900

$2,169 KWD 668

34.69%

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 Salmiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sabah Al Salem

$536 38.4%

Salmiya

$826 50.6% 54.1% $290

Groceries & Markets

Sabah Al Salem

$184 13.2%

Salmiya

$177 10.9% 3.6% $6.6

Eating Out

Sabah Al Salem

$174 12.5%

Salmiya

$166 10.2% 4.8% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sabah Al Salem

$149 10.6%

Salmiya

$172 10.5% 15.7% $23

Getting Around

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.6%

Salmiya

$72 4.4% 45.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Sabah Al Salem

$118 8.5%

Salmiya

$119 7.3% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sabah Al Salem

$102 7.3%

Salmiya

$101 6.2% 1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $807 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,069 in Salmiya. 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 35% higher in Sabah Al Salem, 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 $48.00 in Salmiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $177 – making Salmiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Salmiya

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

Same time as Sabah Al Salem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,818

309,960

💱 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 Salmiya 9 km

From you

Sabah Al Salem
Salmiya

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 Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salmiya is pricier by about 17%, 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 $2,449 in Salmiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sabah Al Salem, 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 $48.00 in Salmiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,396 in Sabah Al Salem and $1,633 in Salmiya. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sabah Al Salem, where all-in costs run around $1,396, than in Salmiya at $1,633. In Sabah Al Salem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salmiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sabah Al Salem – 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 Sabah Al Salem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salmiya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.