Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabuk and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,234 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
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Tabuk Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,234

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tabuk and in Riyadh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tabuk and in Riyadh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,234 in Tabuk versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Tabuk $1,234
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tabuk versus $2,567 in Riyadh.

Tabuk $1,834
Riyadh $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Tabuk versus $3,396 in Riyadh.

Tabuk $2,434
Riyadh $3,396

Living in Tabuk costs roughly 29% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tabuk is 9% below, Riyadh is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 SAR 28.66

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-5.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.43 SAR 118

$66.3 SAR 249

-52.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 SAR 29.22

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-4.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-35.10%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-47.65%

Cappuccino

$3.21 SAR 12.05

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-24.47%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$1.76 SAR 6.60

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$2.43 SAR 9.13

12.76%

Eggs

$2.87 SAR 10.77

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-8.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 46.97

$10.69 SAR 40.11

17.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 SAR 25.45

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-28.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 SAR 47.46

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-16.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-29.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-14.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

$1.70 SAR 6.37

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.18 SAR 4.44

43.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$1.28 SAR 4.81

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$1.70 SAR 6.37

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$0.57 SAR 2.12

7.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-63.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

$1.80 SAR 6.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-13.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 SAR 24.65

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.07 SAR 4.03

-1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.33 SAR 136

$37.34 SAR 140

-2.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.81

$1.81 SAR 6.79

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$13.23 SAR 49.66

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 SAR 2.46

$0.65 SAR 2.44

1.54%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

26.65%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.1K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-9.01%

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

$102 SAR 385

$106 SAR 396

-2.87%

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

$37.35 SAR 140

$29.61 SAR 111

26.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$70.7 SAR 265

8.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.2 SAR 308

$91.6 SAR 344

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 SAR 50.8

$13.09 SAR 49.11

3.36%

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

$424 SAR 1,592

$523 SAR 1,963

-18.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,651 SAR 32.5K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-15.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 SAR 157

$58.8 SAR 221

-28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 SAR 204

$53.1 SAR 199

2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SAR 357

$101 SAR 379

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$103 SAR 386

-15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 SAR 1,286

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,427

$832 SAR 3,122

-54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 SAR 2,396

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,308

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-49.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 SAR 8,848

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-21.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 SAR 5,100

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-28.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 SAR 6,423

$2,067 SAR 7,757

-17.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

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

Last update for Tabuk: October 13, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tabuk

$380 30.8%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 119% $452

Groceries & Markets

Tabuk

$223 18.1%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 8.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabuk

$217 17.6%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 5.1% $11

Eating Out

Tabuk

$127 10.3%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 14.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Tabuk

$125 10.2%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tabuk

$109 8.9%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 7.8% $8.5

Getting Around

Tabuk

$52 4.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 3% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Tabuk and $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Tabuk vs $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $242 per month, with Tabuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

Same time as Tabuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

512,629

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tabuk Riyadh 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tabuk
Riyadh

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

Tabuk vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tabuk and Riyadh differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,234 vs $1,738 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Riyadh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $343 in Tabuk versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,234 per month in Tabuk versus $1,738 in Riyadh – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tabuk runs roughly 3% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,234 in Tabuk versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tabuk and Riyadh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.