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: $1,158 in Saudi Arabia versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,763 in Saudi Arabia versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,368 in Saudi Arabia versus $795 in India.

Living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 216% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Saudi Arabia 16% lower, India 73% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Saudi Arabia: monthly costs span $661 to $1,734, compared to $228–$810 in India. City choice carries more weight in Saudi Arabia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 SAR 25.44

$2.15 ₹205

214.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 SAR 150

$10.42 ₹996

282.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$3.59 ₹343

116.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.71

$1.67 ₹160

118.56%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.82

$0.39 ₹37.26

92.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.93

$0.17 ₹15.92

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹179

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹304

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$0.64 ₹61.1

176.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.45 ₹42.66

142.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

$0.63 ₹59.9

244.44%

Eggs

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$0.87 ₹83.5

200.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 SAR 28.35

$4.62 ₹442

63.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 SAR 30.24

$2.86 ₹273

181.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 SAR 50.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$1.95 ₹186

14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$0.67 ₹64.3

162.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$0.99 ₹94.3

70.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$0.51 ₹48.45

229.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$0.35 ₹33.23

285.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$0.42 ₹39.69

219.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 SAR 4.55

$0.44 ₹41.87

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.31 ₹29.80

87.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.50

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SAR 6.25

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SAR 27.26

$5.14 ₹491

41.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ₹724

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹160

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹266

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$0.25 ₹23.64

336.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.33 SAR 140

$8.53 ₹815

337.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$0.94 ₹89.4

190.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.95

$0.27 ₹25.96

881.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.20

$1.60 ₹153

718.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$1.12 ₹107

-46.43%

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

$66.1K SAR 248.2K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

431.03%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

5.85%

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

$97.4 SAR 366

$37.28 ₹3,562

161.21%

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

$31.85 SAR 120

$3.49 ₹334

812.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 SAR 257

$7.20 ₹688

850.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 SAR 320

$14.69 ₹1,403

480.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.65 SAR 153

$7.31 ₹698

456.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 SAR 53.4

$3.08 ₹294

361.69%

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

$427 SAR 1,602

$59.1 ₹5,646

622.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,940 SAR 33.6K

$1,693 ₹161.8K

427.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.81 SAR 172

$23.25 ₹2,221

97.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$24.03 ₹2,296

130.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 SAR 333

$40.99 ₹3,917

116.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 SAR 326

$30.46 ₹2,911

185.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 SAR 2,257

$143 ₹13.7K

319.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 SAR 1,708

$93.2 ₹8,902

387.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 SAR 3,632

$332 ₹31.7K

191.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 SAR 2,475

$214 ₹20.4K

208.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,334 SAR 8,767

$1,203 ₹115.0K

93.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 SAR 5,178

$643 ₹61.5K

114.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,911 SAR 7,176

$441 ₹42.1K

333.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

8.93

-39.42%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: September 6, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $572 in Saudi Arabia, $121 in India. Capital cities: $1,174 in Riyadh vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 373% higher in Saudi Arabia.

Dining out costs 300% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 371% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are 376% 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 $519 per month in India and $1,198 in Saudi Arabia, there's a 131% 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.