Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taif and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Taif: $1,271 a month against $1,471 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,271

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taif and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Taif versus $1,471 in Al Khobar.

Taif $1,271
Al Khobar $1,471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Taif versus $2,231 in Al Khobar.

Taif $1,863
Al Khobar $2,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,456 in Taif versus $2,991 in Al Khobar.

Taif $2,456
Al Khobar $2,991

Living in Taif costs roughly 14% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taif is 6% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 SAR 20.22

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-20.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.10 SAR 139

$60.2 SAR 226

-38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 SAR 28.35

$8.14 SAR 30.57

-7.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-16.54%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$2.67 SAR 10.03

-49.06%

Cappuccino

$2.20 SAR 8.27

$4.35 SAR 16.33

-49.43%

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

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.94 SAR 3.54

-32.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 SAR 0.81

$0.41 SAR 1.53

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

$1.65 SAR 6.18

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.05

$1.24 SAR 4.67

-77.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-5.28%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$2.35 SAR 8.81

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 SAR 21.83

$7.42 SAR 27.87

-21.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 SAR 26.01

$10.09 SAR 37.87

-31.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 SAR 35.52

$11.69 SAR 43.86

-19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.71 SAR 6.40

2.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

$1.74 SAR 6.52

7.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.42 SAR 5.33

-5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.41

$1.67 SAR 6.25

-13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-44.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 SAR 2.92

$0.53 SAR 2.01

47.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.32

$2.62 SAR 9.82

14.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.58 SAR 5.92

-9.49%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.75

$1.87 SAR 7.03

10.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 SAR 26.20

$6.80 SAR 25.50

2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.93 SAR 3.49

15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.71 SAR 142

$54.5 SAR 204

-30.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 SAR 7.34

$2.68 SAR 10.07

-26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SAR 35.80

$14.22 SAR 53.4

-32.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.63 SAR 2.38

1.59%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

$66.8K SAR 250.9K

-59.91%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

0.20%

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

$141 SAR 530

$96.9 SAR 364

45.73%

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

$27.63 SAR 104

$32.58 SAR 122

-15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 SAR 257

$68.3 SAR 256

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$143 SAR 538

$80.1 SAR 301

79.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 SAR 49.75

$36.17 SAR 136

-63.34%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 SAR 73.7

$15.22 SAR 57.1

29.04%

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

$187 SAR 701

$599 SAR 2,249

-68.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,348 SAR 12.6K

$18.6K SAR 69.9K

-82.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.65 SAR 156

$63.5 SAR 238

-34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SAR 190

$83.0 SAR 311

-39.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 SAR 354

$97.4 SAR 366

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 SAR 325

$94.8 SAR 356

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 SAR 2,136

$762 SAR 2,860

-25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 SAR 1,496

$584 SAR 2,192

-31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 SAR 3,366

$1,226 SAR 4,602

-26.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SAR 2,288

$912 SAR 3,424

-33.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 SAR 7,478

$1,437 SAR 5,392

38.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 SAR 4,459

$1,037 SAR 3,894

14.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 SAR 5,905

$1,872 SAR 7,028

-15.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.88

-5.78%

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

Last update for Taif: November 1, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taif

$399 31.4%

Al Khobar

$584 39.7% 46.5% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taif

$237 18.7%

Al Khobar

$198 13.4% 16.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Taif

$183 14.4%

Al Khobar

$111 7.5% 39.5% $72

Groceries & Markets

Taif

$181 14.2%

Al Khobar

$217 14.8% 20.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Taif

$123 9.7%

Al Khobar

$152 10.4% 24% $30

Eating Out

Taif

$96 7.5%

Al Khobar

$136 9.2% 42.2% $40

Getting Around

Taif

$53 4.2%

Al Khobar

$73 5% 38% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in Taif and $762 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Taif vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $217 per month, with Taif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Taif

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

Same time as Taif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,970

219,679

💱 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

Taif Al Khobar 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Taif
Al Khobar

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

Taif vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taif wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Taif the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Taif. 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: $569 in Taif versus $762 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taif runs roughly 31% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Taif versus $599 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Taif is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Taif and Al Khobar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.