Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salwa and Sabah Al Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Salwa: $1,325 a month against $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Sabah Al Salem despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Salwa
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Salwa Living Index
68

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

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Salwa

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,325

/mo nomad

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,325 per month in Salwa vs $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Salwa $1,325
Sabah Al Salem $1,418

A couple spends around $2,235 per month in Salwa vs $2,468 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Salwa $2,235
Sabah Al Salem $2,468

A family of three spends $3,145 per month in Salwa vs $3,518 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Salwa $3,145
Sabah Al Salem $3,518

Salwa is about 7% cheaper than Sabah Al Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Salwa sits 3% below the global median, while Sabah Al Salem is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 KWD 3.89

$7.81 KWD 2.41

61.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 KWD 19.75

$71.2 KWD 21.93

-9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 KWD 2.01

$9.38 KWD 2.89

-30.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 KWD 1.01

$3.26 KWD 1.01

0.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 KWD 1.48

$3.16 KWD 0.97

51.90%

Cappuccino

$5.25 KWD 1.62

$6.61 KWD 2.04

-20.57%

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

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.47 KWD 0.14

4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 KWD 0.09

$0.46 KWD 0.14

-36.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

$1.86 KWD 0.57

-14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$1.25 KWD 0.39

-44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 KWD 0.23

$2.05 KWD 0.63

-62.93%

Eggs

$1.96 KWD 0.60

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 KWD 1.31

$7.12 KWD 2.19

-40.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 KWD 2.03

$5.41 KWD 1.67

22.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 KWD 3.18

$10.01 KWD 3.09

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

$2.44 KWD 0.75

1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.60

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 KWD 0.58

$1.26 KWD 0.39

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 KWD 0.26

$1.47 KWD 0.45

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 KWD 0.20

$1.36 KWD 0.42

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$0.91 KWD 0.28

63.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 KWD 0.70

$1.65 KWD 0.51

36.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

$3.08 KWD 0.95

6.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

$1.14 KWD 0.35

-11.40%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 KWD 0.45

$1.35 KWD 0.42

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 KWD 0.83

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 KWD 0.25

$0.92 KWD 0.28

-10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 KWD 34.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 KWD 1.02

$3.60 KWD 1.11

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 KWD 0.98

$3.20 KWD 0.99

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 KWD 4.95

$13.80 KWD 4.25

16.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

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

$23.6K KWD 7,277

$25.2K KWD 7,765

-6.29%

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

$17.6K KWD 5,428

$21.5K KWD 6,630

-18.13%

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

$65.8 KWD 20.27

$38.66 KWD 11.92

70.12%

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

$22.27 KWD 6.86

$23.88 KWD 7.36

-6.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 KWD 9.26

$38.49 KWD 11.86

-21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.2 KWD 30.25

$131 KWD 40.32

-24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.90 KWD 3.05

$38.26 KWD 11.79

-74.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 KWD 4.03

$11.06 KWD 3.41

18.26%

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

$495 KWD 153

$281 KWD 86.6

76.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,455 KWD 2,914

$7,550 KWD 2,327

25.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.43 KWD 11.54

$37.23 KWD 11.47

0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 KWD 12.29

$39.57 KWD 12.19

0.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 KWD 24.92

$98.9 KWD 30.48

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 KWD 19.81

$89.8 KWD 27.66

-28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 KWD 249

$814 KWD 251

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 KWD 187

$550 KWD 170

10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 KWD 538

$1,741 KWD 537

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 KWD 418

$1,351 KWD 416

0.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 KWD 1,092

$2,957 KWD 911

19.79%

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 Salwa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salwa

$608 45.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$550 38.8% 9.5% $58

Eating Out

Salwa

$187 14.1%

Sabah Al Salem

$174 12.3% 6.9% $13

Groceries & Markets

Salwa

$166 12.5%

Sabah Al Salem

$185 13.1% 11.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Salwa

$124 9.4%

Sabah Al Salem

$153 10.8% 23% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salwa

$118 8.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$101 7.1% 14.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Salwa

$100 7.6%

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.4% 19.3% $19

Getting Around

Salwa

$22 * 1.7%

Sabah Al Salem

$136 9.6% 505% $113

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 Salwa versus $814 in Sabah Al Salem. 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 20% higher in Salwa, 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 $64 in Salwa versus $71 in Sabah Al Salem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $185 – making Salwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Salwa

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

Same time as Salwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,945

92,818

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.24 USD

1 KWD = 2.91 EUR

1 KWD = 3.24 USD

1 KWD = 2.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

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Salwa Sabah Al Salem 4 km

From you

Salwa
Sabah Al Salem

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

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

Yes – Sabah Al Salem is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,988 per month in Salwa and $2,127 in Sabah Al Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $807 in Salwa and $814 in Sabah Al Salem. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Salwa and $71 in Sabah Al Salem. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Sabah Al Salem, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,325 in Salwa and $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Salwa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,325 in Salwa to $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.