Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,172 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $2,181 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,801 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $3,218 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,430 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 46% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Saudi Arabia sits 12% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,595–$2,799) than in Saudi Arabia ($923–$1,753), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 SAR 25.75

$15.97 A$22.93

-57.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$79.0 A$113

-49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

$9.68 A$13.91

-16.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Cappuccino

$3.58 SAR 13.45

$3.58 A$5.15

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

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$2.56 A$3.68

-71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$2.22 A$3.19

-87.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.56 A$2.25

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$2.53 A$3.63

-60.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$2.00 A$2.87

12.00%

Eggs

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$4.26 A$6.12

-41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SAR 27.24

$8.75 A$12.57

-17.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 SAR 30.83

$8.23 A$11.83

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.91

$14.15 A$20.33

-7.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$3.26 A$4.69

-33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$2.81 A$4.04

-41.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$3.00 A$4.31

-43.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$4.31 A$6.19

-63.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$2.55 A$3.67

-49.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$2.16 A$3.10

-37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$2.22 A$3.19

-43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$1.53 A$2.20

-62.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.28 SAR 16.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.44 SAR 27.95

$31.28 A$44.93

-76.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.05

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$2.95 A$4.24

-64.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.57 SAR 137

$95.9 A$138

-61.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$3.49 A$5.01

-25.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$1.84 A$2.64

45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$37.26 A$53.5

-64.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.17 A$1.68

-46.15%

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

$25.0K SAR 94.0K

$28.7K A$41.3K

-12.89%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$22.5K A$32.3K

-0.59%

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

$106 SAR 397

$173 A$249

-39.03%

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

$33.16 SAR 125

$26.62 A$38.23

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$53.1 A$76.2

32.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 SAR 346

$46.82 A$67.3

96.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 SAR 157

$16.38 A$23.53

154.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 SAR 59.4

$13.56 A$19.48

16.67%

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

$351 SAR 1,316

$1,571 A$2,256

-77.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 SAR 27.1K

$12.6K A$18.1K

-42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 SAR 194

$72.1 A$104

-28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 SAR 220

$51.6 A$74.1

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 SAR 353

$101 A$145

-7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 SAR 318

$108 A$155

-21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 SAR 1,837

$1,398 A$2,008

-65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,528

$1,086 A$1,560

-62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 SAR 3,344

$2,272 A$3,263

-60.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 SAR 2,384

$1,751 A$2,515

-63.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 SAR 8,650

$7,955 A$11.4K

-71.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,028

$5,978 A$8,587

-77.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,882 SAR 7,065

$4,053 A$5,822

-53.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

6.35

-26.77%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: July 27, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $420 in Saudi Arabia vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,092 in Riyadh and $1,557 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia vs $3,808 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 193% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 95% higher in Australia.

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

Saudi Arabia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saudi Arabia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 64% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Saudi Arabia, contributing to the overall 64% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saudi Arabia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Saudi Arabia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.