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: $1,172 in Saudi Arabia versus $2,365 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,801 in Saudi Arabia versus $3,470 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,430 in Saudi Arabia versus $4,575 in United Kingdom.

Living in Saudi Arabia costs about 50% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Saudi Arabia (12% below) and United Kingdom (78% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,652 to $3,902, compared to $923–$1,753 in Saudi Arabia. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 SAR 25.75

$20.15 £15.08

-65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$88.5 £66.2

-55.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

$10.33 £7.73

-21.49%

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

$4.53 £3.39

-20.97%

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

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$2.38 £1.78

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$1.70 £1.27

-84.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.67

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.64 £1.23

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$1.67 £1.25

-39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$2.22 £1.66

0.90%

Eggs

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$3.98 £2.98

-37.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SAR 27.24

$9.60 £7.18

-24.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 SAR 30.83

$9.15 £6.85

-10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.91

$13.94 £10.43

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.94 £2.20

-25.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$1.67 £1.25

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$2.85 £2.14

-40.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$3.44 £2.58

-54.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.70 £1.27

-24.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.61 £1.20

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.12 £0.84

11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$1.52 £1.14

-61.84%

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

$20.60 £15.41

-63.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 £7.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$3.23 £2.42

-67.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.57 SAR 137

$93.3 £69.8

-60.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$5.28 £3.95

-50.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$1.52 £1.14

76.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$26.79 £20.04

-51.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.98 £1.48

-68.18%

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

$25.0K SAR 94.0K

$37.9K £28.3K

-33.93%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$40.6K £30.3K

-44.95%

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

$106 SAR 397

$325 £243

-67.51%

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

$33.16 SAR 125

$17.63 £13.19

88.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$42.17 £31.55

66.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 SAR 346

$45.93 £34.36

100.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 SAR 157

$15.86 £11.87

162.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 SAR 59.4

$13.36 £10.00

18.41%

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

$351 SAR 1,316

$1,736 £1,299

-79.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 SAR 27.1K

$21.3K £16.0K

-66.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 SAR 194

$90.8 £67.9

-43.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 SAR 220

$45.24 £33.85

29.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 SAR 353

$102 £76.6

-8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 SAR 318

$102 £76.2

-16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 SAR 1,837

$1,412 £1,057

-65.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,528

$1,122 £840

-63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 SAR 3,344

$2,367 £1,770

-62.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 SAR 2,384

$1,827 £1,367

-65.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 SAR 8,650

$5,662 £4,235

-59.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,028

$4,424 £3,309

-69.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,882 SAR 7,065

$3,238 £2,422

-41.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

5.75

-19.13%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: July 27, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $420 in Saudi Arabia, $1,266 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,092 in Riyadh vs $3,021 in London.

National salary averages: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia, $3,174 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 201% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 110% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 130% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 63% 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 $1,338 per month in Saudi Arabia and $2,777 in United Kingdom, there's a 108% 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.