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 $1,178 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,800 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $3,217 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,422 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $4,249 in Australia, rent included.

Saudi Arabia is roughly 46% cheaper than Australia on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Saudi Arabia sits 12% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Saudi Arabia ($918–$1,790), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 SAR 24.76

$16.24 A$22.57

-59.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.41 SAR 152

$77.1 A$107

-47.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 SAR 30.08

$9.81 A$13.64

-18.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.67

$3.58 A$4.97

1.96%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$2.57 A$3.57

-71.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$2.18 A$3.03

-88.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.90

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.50 A$2.09

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.86

$2.53 A$3.51

-59.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.06

$2.07 A$2.88

3.86%

Eggs

$2.57 SAR 9.63

$4.29 A$5.96

-40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 SAR 27.68

$8.65 A$12.02

-14.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 SAR 30.97

$8.34 A$11.60

-0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 SAR 48.04

$13.90 A$19.33

-7.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$3.30 A$4.58

-34.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

$2.77 A$3.85

-41.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$2.95 A$4.10

-42.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$4.19 A$5.83

-62.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$2.42 A$3.36

-47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$2.10 A$2.92

-38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.51

$2.26 A$3.14

-46.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.31

$1.50 A$2.09

-58.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SAR 27.61

$31.58 A$43.90

-76.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$19.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$3.02 A$4.19

-65.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.94 SAR 139

$98.3 A$137

-62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 SAR 10.06

$3.48 A$4.84

-22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.95

$1.75 A$2.43

51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$37.97 A$52.8

-64.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.21 A$1.68

-51.24%

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

$25.1K SAR 94.0K

$29.0K A$40.4K

-13.65%

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

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

$22.6K A$31.4K

-2.52%

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

$105 SAR 394

$177 A$247

-40.77%

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

$33.52 SAR 126

$26.85 A$37.32

24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$52.4 A$72.9

38.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 357

$47.57 A$66.1

100.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 SAR 155

$16.46 A$22.88

151.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.21 SAR 60.8

$13.73 A$19.09

18.06%

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

$352 SAR 1,322

$1,593 A$2,215

-77.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,166 SAR 26.9K

$12.7K A$17.7K

-43.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 SAR 194

$72.0 A$100

-28.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 SAR 222

$51.3 A$71.3

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 SAR 352

$103 A$143

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 SAR 308

$108 A$151

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 SAR 1,783

$1,401 A$1,947

-66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,527

$1,080 A$1,501

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 SAR 3,320

$2,340 A$3,253

-62.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SAR 2,379

$1,756 A$2,441

-63.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,303 SAR 8,636

$7,733 A$10.7K

-70.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,278 SAR 4,793

$5,563 A$7,733

-77.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,034 SAR 7,626

$4,000 A$5,560

-49.16%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $418 in Saudi Arabia vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,103 in Riyadh and $1,529 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,012 in Saudi Arabia vs $3,878 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 93% 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 63% 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 63% 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.