Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,158 in Saudi Arabia versus $2,405 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,763 in Saudi Arabia versus $3,520 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,368 in Saudi Arabia versus $4,635 in United Kingdom.

Living in Saudi Arabia costs about 52% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Saudi Arabia (16% below) and United Kingdom (74% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,100 to $4,235, compared to $661–$1,734 in Saudi Arabia. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 SAR 25.44

$21.52 £15.90

-68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 SAR 150

$88.0 £65.0

-54.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$10.89 £8.05

-28.65%

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

$4.92 £3.64

-25.81%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.82

$2.59 £1.91

-71.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.93

$1.84 £1.36

-86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.67 £1.23

5.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.67 £1.23

-34.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

$2.20 £1.63

-1.36%

Eggs

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$4.19 £3.10

-37.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 SAR 28.35

$9.98 £7.38

-24.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 SAR 30.24

$9.47 £7.00

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 SAR 50.5

$15.41 £11.39

-12.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$3.02 £2.23

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.70 £1.25

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$2.92 £2.16

-42.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$3.38 £2.50

-50.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.84 £1.36

-26.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$1.58 £1.17

-15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 SAR 4.55

$1.26 £0.93

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.70 £1.26

-65.88%

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

$24.21 £17.90

-70.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$3.43 £2.53

-68.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.33 SAR 140

$105 £77.9

-64.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$5.36 £3.96

-49.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.95

$2.37 £1.75

11.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.20

$27.55 £20.36

-52.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$1.93 £1.43

-68.91%

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

$66.1K SAR 248.2K

$39.7K £29.3K

66.51%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

$40.7K £30.1K

-47.49%

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

$97.4 SAR 366

$321 £238

-69.71%

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

$31.85 SAR 120

$18.67 £13.80

70.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 SAR 257

$43.93 £32.47

55.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 SAR 320

$46.56 £34.41

83.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.65 SAR 153

$18.71 £13.83

117.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 SAR 53.4

$13.53 £10.00

5.10%

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

$427 SAR 1,602

$1,739 £1,285

-75.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,940 SAR 33.6K

$22.7K £16.7K

-60.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.81 SAR 172

$90.9 £67.2

-49.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$47.40 £35.04

16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 SAR 333

$105 £77.8

-15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 SAR 326

$101 £74.9

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 SAR 2,257

$1,382 £1,022

-56.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 SAR 1,708

$1,095 £809

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 SAR 3,632

$2,216 £1,638

-56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 SAR 2,475

$1,814 £1,341

-63.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,334 SAR 8,767

$5,730 £4,235

-59.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 SAR 5,178

$4,515 £3,337

-69.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,911 SAR 7,176

$3,329 £2,461

-42.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

5.32

1.69%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: September 6, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $572 in Saudi Arabia, $1,285 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,174 in Riyadh vs $2,926 in London.

National salary averages: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia, $3,292 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 125% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 110% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 161% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 69% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,198 per month in Saudi Arabia and $2,668 in United Kingdom, there's a 123% 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 Saudi Arabia: 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 United Kingdom is consistently higher than in Saudi Arabia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Saudi Arabia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom 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: Saudi Arabia wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.