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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Saudi Arabia versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,801 in Saudi Arabia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,430 in Saudi Arabia versus $846 in India.

Living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 202% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Saudi Arabia 12% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Saudi Arabia: monthly costs span $923 to $1,753, compared to $267–$886 in India. City choice carries more weight in Saudi Arabia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 SAR 25.75

$2.50 ₹239

174.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$14.08 ₹1,347

181.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

$4.15 ₹396

95.42%

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

$1.81 ₹174

97.79%

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

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$0.44 ₹41.75

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$0.17 ₹16.43

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹185

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₹343

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$0.69 ₹65.7

143.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$0.52 ₹49.50

94.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$0.69 ₹65.5

224.64%

Eggs

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$0.99 ₹95.1

151.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SAR 27.24

$5.20 ₹497

39.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 SAR 30.83

$3.08 ₹294

166.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.91

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.19 ₹209

-0.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$0.72 ₹68.4

129.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.08 ₹103

57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$0.54 ₹51.5

190.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$0.40 ₹38.24

222.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$0.49 ₹46.93

177.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$0.55 ₹52.4

127.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.35 ₹33.66

65.71%

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

$4.01 ₹383

85.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 ₹707

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹174

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₹289

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.61 ₹537

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$0.37 ₹35.12

183.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.57 SAR 137

$10.05 ₹961

263.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$0.94 ₹90.0

175.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$0.30 ₹28.93

793.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$1.76 ₹169

642.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.18 ₹113

-46.61%

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

$25.0K SAR 94.0K

$14.1K ₹1.4M

77.25%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$22.8K ₹2.2M

-1.93%

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

$106 SAR 397

$40.07 ₹3,832

163.76%

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

$33.16 SAR 125

$3.80 ₹364

772.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$8.11 ₹776

767.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 SAR 346

$15.93 ₹1,523

478.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 SAR 157

$7.71 ₹738

440.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 SAR 59.4

$3.54 ₹339

346.89%

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

$351 SAR 1,316

$68.2 ₹6,521

414.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 SAR 27.1K

$1,817 ₹173.8K

296.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 SAR 194

$25.00 ₹2,391

106.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 SAR 220

$26.67 ₹2,551

120.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 SAR 353

$45.45 ₹4,347

106.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 SAR 318

$33.07 ₹3,163

156.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 SAR 1,837

$178 ₹17.0K

175.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,528

$113 ₹10.8K

259.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 SAR 3,344

$410 ₹39.2K

117.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 SAR 2,384

$256 ₹24.5K

148.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 SAR 8,650

$1,231 ₹117.7K

87.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,028

$650 ₹62.2K

106.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,882 SAR 7,065

$435 ₹41.6K

332.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

9.02

-48.45%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: July 27, 2026

Last update for India: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $420 in Saudi Arabia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $1,092 in Riyadh vs $240 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia, $399 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 231% higher in Saudi Arabia.

Dining out costs 264% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 344% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are 389% higher in Saudi Arabia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saudi Arabia.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $577 per month in India and $1,338 in Saudi Arabia, there's a 132% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Saudi Arabia is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Saudi Arabia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Saudi Arabia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.