Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakakah: $1,223 a month against $1,471 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sakakah
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Sakakah Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Sakakah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,223

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sakakah and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Sakakah versus $1,471 in Al Khobar.

Sakakah $1,223
Al Khobar $1,471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,793 in Sakakah versus $2,231 in Al Khobar.

Sakakah $1,793
Al Khobar $2,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,364 in Sakakah versus $2,991 in Al Khobar.

Sakakah $2,364
Al Khobar $2,991

Living in Sakakah costs roughly 17% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sakakah is 10% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 SAR 21.79

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-13.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.64 SAR 138

$60.2 SAR 226

-39.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.29

$8.14 SAR 30.57

-4.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-16.54%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

$2.67 SAR 10.03

-41.95%

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.69

$4.35 SAR 16.33

-16.09%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.94 SAR 3.54

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 SAR 1.28

$0.41 SAR 1.53

-17.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.65 SAR 6.18

1.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$1.24 SAR 4.67

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-4.07%

Eggs

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.35 SAR 8.81

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 SAR 28.82

$7.42 SAR 27.86

3.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$10.09 SAR 37.87

-32.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 SAR 47.25

$11.69 SAR 43.86

7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.71 SAR 6.40

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$1.42 SAR 5.33

-13.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.67 SAR 6.25

-20.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-27.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.98

$0.53 SAR 2.01

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.37

$2.62 SAR 9.82

5.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$1.58 SAR 5.92

12.03%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

$1.87 SAR 7.03

3.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 SAR 21.92

$6.80 SAR 25.50

-14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 SAR 3.69

$0.93 SAR 3.49

5.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.58 SAR 137

$54.5 SAR 204

-32.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 SAR 10.55

$1.76 SAR 6.61

59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.68 SAR 10.07

-35.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 SAR 55.6

$14.22 SAR 53.4

4.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.63 SAR 2.38

-6.35%

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

$25.1K SAR 94.4K

$66.8K SAR 250.9K

-62.39%

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

$24.2K SAR 90.9K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

13.13%

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

$119 SAR 445

$96.9 SAR 364

22.47%

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

$37.42 SAR 140

$32.58 SAR 122

14.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 SAR 276

$68.3 SAR 256

7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.1 SAR 297

$80.1 SAR 301

-1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 SAR 136

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 SAR 44.80

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-21.55%

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

$380 SAR 1,426

$599 SAR 2,249

-36.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K SAR 41.2K

$18.6K SAR 69.9K

-41.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.10 SAR 143

$63.5 SAR 238

-39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SAR 224

$83.0 SAR 311

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SAR 379

$97.4 SAR 366

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 SAR 303

$94.8 SAR 356

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 SAR 2,114

$762 SAR 2,860

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 SAR 1,494

$584 SAR 2,192

-31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 SAR 3,274

$1,226 SAR 4,602

-28.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 SAR 2,267

$912 SAR 3,424

-33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,840 SAR 6,905

$1,437 SAR 5,392

28.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,239 SAR 4,651

$1,037 SAR 3,894

19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$912 SAR 3,422

$1,872 SAR 7,028

-51.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.88

-5.78%

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

Last update for Sakakah: October 31, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sakakah

$398 32.6%

Al Khobar

$584 39.7% 46.7% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sakakah

$230 18.8%

Al Khobar

$198 13.4% 13.9% $32

Groceries & Markets

Sakakah

$197 16.1%

Al Khobar

$217 14.8% 10.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Sakakah

$126 10.3%

Al Khobar

$152 10.4% 21.2% $27

Eating Out

Sakakah

$118 9.6%

Al Khobar

$136 9.2% 15.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sakakah

$103 8.4%

Al Khobar

$111 7.5% 7.4% $7.6

Getting Around

Sakakah

$52 4.3%

Al Khobar

$73 5% 41.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $563 in Sakakah and $762 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Sakakah vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $217 per month, with Sakakah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Sakakah

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

Same time as Sakakah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,813

219,679

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sakakah Al Khobar 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sakakah
Al Khobar

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

Sakakah vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakakah wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sakakah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Sakakah. 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: $563 in Sakakah versus $762 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sakakah runs roughly 33% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $380 in Sakakah versus $599 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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, Sakakah and Al Khobar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Sakakah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.