For one person, living is cheaper in Saudi Arabia: $1,284 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Saudi Arabia and in Canada
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saudi Arabia and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,284 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.
Saudi Arabia $1,284
Canada $2,310
A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.
Saudi Arabia $1,916
Canada $3,356
A family of three spends $2,549 per month in Saudi Arabia vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.
Saudi Arabia $2,549
Canada $4,403
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Saudi Arabia ($674–$1,738), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 44% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Saudi Arabia sits 6% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.74SAR 25.28
$18.16CA$25.40
-62.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.36SAR 151
$71.2CA$99.6
-43.32%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.14SAR 30.53
$10.81CA$15.12
-24.70%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.99SAR 7.46
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12SAR 7.95
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.78SAR 14.19
$3.78CA$5.28
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75SAR 2.83
$2.11CA$2.96
-64.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27SAR 1.02
$1.66CA$2.32
-83.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.62CA$7.86
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.72CA$8.00
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.70SAR 6.39
$2.17CA$3.04
-21.66%
White Bread(500g)
$1.11SAR 4.17
$2.60CA$3.64
-57.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.21SAR 8.30
$3.65CA$5.11
-39.45%
Eggs
$2.67SAR 10.01
$3.63CA$5.07
-26.45%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.68SAR 28.79
$10.76CA$15.06
-28.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.86SAR 29.48
$11.90CA$16.64
-33.95%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.44SAR 50.4
$15.42CA$21.57
-12.84%
Apples(1kg)
$2.16SAR 8.10
$4.03CA$5.63
-46.40%
Banana(1kg)
$1.79SAR 6.70
$1.38CA$1.94
29.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.73SAR 6.48
$3.88CA$5.42
-55.41%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.69SAR 6.34
$4.08CA$5.71
-58.58%
Potato(1kg)
$1.31SAR 4.91
$2.57CA$3.59
-49.03%
Onion(1kg)
$1.33SAR 4.99
$2.48CA$3.46
-46.37%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.27SAR 4.76
$2.65CA$3.70
-52.08%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62SAR 2.32
$1.71CA$2.40
-63.74%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$4.07SAR 15.25
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64SAR 6.16
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18SAR 8.17
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.32SAR 27.44
$14.32CA$20.03
-48.88%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$13.49CA$18.86
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.84CA$3.97
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.30CA$4.62
-
🚌 Getting Around
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.10SAR 4.12
$2.55CA$3.57
-56.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$38.07SAR 143
$71.9CA$101
-47.07%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.74SAR 10.26
$3.18CA$4.45
-13.84%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.70SAR 10.12
$1.54CA$2.15
75.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.49SAR 50.6
$26.69CA$37.33
-49.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.60SAR 2.26
$1.24CA$1.74
-51.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4KSAR 114.2K
$27.9KCA$39.0K
9.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5KSAR 80.5K
$21.1KCA$29.5K
1.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$97.9SAR 367
$147CA$206
-33.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.85SAR 119
$41.80CA$58.5
-23.80%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.1SAR 252
$60.2CA$84.2
11.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$79.8SAR 300
$39.01CA$54.6
104.67%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.07SAR 147
$19.06CA$26.66
104.98%
Cinema Ticket
$13.92SAR 52.2
$11.21CA$15.68
24.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$458SAR 1,718
$721CA$1,009
-36.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,896SAR 33.4K
$14.8KCA$20.8K
-40.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.43SAR 182
$55.3CA$77.3
-12.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7SAR 213
$38.95CA$54.5
45.57%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.5SAR 336
$87.4CA$122
2.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.3SAR 324
$101CA$142
-14.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$641SAR 2,404
$1,290CA$1,805
-50.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$460SAR 1,726
$1,130CA$1,581
-59.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,008SAR 3,781
$2,036CA$2,848
-50.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$699SAR 2,623
$1,731CA$2,421
-59.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,013SAR 7,551
$4,769CA$6,670
-57.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,252SAR 4,696
$3,730CA$5,217
-66.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,864SAR 6,992
$3,070CA$4,293
-39.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.4
4.87
10.88%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Saudi Arabia: October 26, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Saudi Arabia
$460 35.8%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 146%$670
🛒Groceries & Markets
Saudi Arabia
$206 16.1%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 79.8%$165
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saudi Arabia
$197 15.3%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↑ 26.7%$53
🍽Eating Out
Saudi Arabia
$128 10%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 117%$150
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Saudi Arabia
$126 9.9%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↑ 0.7%$0.9
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Saudi Arabia
$108 8.4%
Canada
$61 2.7% ↓ 43%$46
🚌Getting Around
Saudi Arabia
$59 4.6%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 58.5%$34
🏠Accommodation & Living
Saudi Arabia
$699 27.5%
Canada
$1.7K 39.3% ↑ 148%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Saudi Arabia
$505 19.8%
Canada
$847 19.2% ↑ 67.6%$342
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saudi Arabia
$229 9%
Canada
$291 6.6% ↑ 27.3%$63
🍽Eating Out
Saudi Arabia
$461 18.1%
Canada
$918 20.9% ↑ 99.3%$458
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Saudi Arabia
$281 11%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↑ 0.7%$2
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Saudi Arabia
$254 10%
Canada
$142 3.2% ↓ 44.2%$113
🚌Getting Around
Saudi Arabia
$120 4.7%
Canada
$191 4.3% ↑ 59.9%$72
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $556 in Saudi Arabia vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,149 in Riyadh and $1,434 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $1,949 in Saudi Arabia vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 125% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 60% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 74% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are 52% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saudi Arabia.
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
Saudi Arabia vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 44% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $556 in Saudi Arabia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Saudi Arabia – part of why living there is about 44% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in Saudi Arabia?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saudi Arabia, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
Saudi Arabia vs other spots: cost of living compared