Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $1,284 in Saudi Arabia, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,284
/mo nomad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$483
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saudi Arabia and in Pakistan

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 Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,284 in Saudi Arabia versus $483 in Pakistan.

  • Saudi Arabia $1,284
  • Pakistan $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,916 in Saudi Arabia versus $736 in Pakistan.

  • Saudi Arabia $1,916
  • Pakistan $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,549 in Saudi Arabia versus $988 in Pakistan.

  • Saudi Arabia $2,549
  • Pakistan $988

Internal cost variation is higher in Saudi Arabia: monthly costs span $674 to $1,738, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Saudi Arabia.

Living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 166% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Saudi Arabia 6% lower, Pakistan 65% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.74 SAR 25.28
$2.11 PKR 583
219.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.36 SAR 151
$13.97 PKR 3,866
188.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 SAR 30.53
$5.50 PKR 1,523
48.00%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.99 SAR 7.46
$2.22 PKR 616
-10.36%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 SAR 7.95
$4.31 PKR 1,193
-50.81%
Cappuccino
$3.78 SAR 14.19
$1.97 PKR 546
91.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 SAR 2.83
$0.38 PKR 105
97.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 SAR 1.02
$0.23 PKR 63.7
17.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 SAR 6.39
$0.87 PKR 240
95.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.11 SAR 4.17
$0.60 PKR 165
85.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 SAR 8.30
$1.21 PKR 335
82.64%
Eggs
$2.67 SAR 10.02
$1.21 PKR 334
120.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.68 SAR 28.80
$5.42 PKR 1,500
41.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 SAR 29.49
$2.83 PKR 783
177.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.44 SAR 50.4
$5.06 PKR 1,400
165.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.16 SAR 8.10
$1.20 PKR 331
80.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 SAR 6.70
$0.64 PKR 176
179.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 SAR 6.48
$0.87 PKR 241
98.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 SAR 6.35
$0.54 PKR 149
212.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 SAR 4.91
$0.33 PKR 91.8
296.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$0.39 PKR 108
241.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 SAR 4.76
$0.37 PKR 104
243.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 SAR 2.32
$0.41 PKR 113
51.22%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.07 SAR 15.25
$2.08 PKR 575
95.67%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 SAR 6.16
$1.07 PKR 296
53.27%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 SAR 8.17
$2.36 PKR 652
-7.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.32 SAR 27.45
$2.14 PKR 593
242.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.12
$0.20 PKR 55.0
450.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.07 SAR 143
$10.01 PKR 2,769
280.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 SAR 10.27
$0.88 PKR 243
211.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 SAR 10.12
$0.56 PKR 155
382.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.49 SAR 50.6
$2.22 PKR 614
507.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SAR 2.26
$1.29 PKR 357
-53.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K SAR 114.2K
$17.8K PKR 4.9M
71.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K SAR 80.5K
$24.3K PKR 6.7M
-11.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.9 SAR 367
$110 PKR 30.5K
-11.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.85 SAR 120
$5.41 PKR 1,496
488.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.1 SAR 252
$15.79 PKR 4,369
324.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.8 SAR 300
$18.50 PKR 5,119
331.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.07 SAR 147
$11.09 PKR 3,067
252.30%
Cinema Ticket
$13.92 SAR 52.2
$4.32 PKR 1,195
222.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$458 SAR 1,718
$56.4 PKR 15.6K
712.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,896 SAR 33.4K
$1,511 PKR 418.2K
488.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.43 SAR 182
$17.56 PKR 4,860
175.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7 SAR 213
$23.58 PKR 6,523
140.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.5 SAR 336
$76.7 PKR 21.2K
16.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.3 SAR 324
$35.08 PKR 9,706
145.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$641 SAR 2,405
$150 PKR 41.5K
327.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 SAR 1,727
$87.4 PKR 24.2K
426.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 SAR 3,782
$320 PKR 88.7K
214.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$699 SAR 2,623
$190 PKR 52.5K
268.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,013 SAR 7,553
$970 PKR 268.5K
107.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,252 SAR 4,697
$520 PKR 144.0K
140.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,864 SAR 6,994
$192 PKR 53.2K
870.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.4
14.1
-61.70%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saudi Arabia
$460
Pakistan
$87 81% $373
Groceries & Markets
Saudi Arabia
$206
Pakistan
$94 54.4% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saudi Arabia
$197
Pakistan
$131 33.2% $65
Eating Out
Saudi Arabia
$128
Pakistan
$59 53.5% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Saudi Arabia
$126
Pakistan
$69 45.6% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Saudi Arabia
$108
Pakistan
$27 74.8% $81
Getting Around
Saudi Arabia
$59
Pakistan
$14 75.3% $44

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $556 in Saudi Arabia, $137 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $1,149 in Riyadh vs $261 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Saudi Arabia, $185 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 306% higher in Saudi Arabia.

Dining out costs 208% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 280% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Saudi Arabia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saudi Arabia.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
06:47 6:47 AM
2 h ahead of Saudi Arabia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,000,000
223,773,700
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saudi Arabia Pakistan 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Pakistan

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia?
At $483 per month in Pakistan and $1,284 in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan comes out about 62% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $556 in Saudi Arabia and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Pakistan or in Saudi Arabia?
In Pakistan, $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.
Should I move to Pakistan or to Saudi Arabia?
It depends on what you’re after: Pakistan wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

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