Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taif and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Taif: $1,255 a month against $1,740 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,255

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taif 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 Taif and in Riyadh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,255 in Taif versus $1,740 in Riyadh.

Taif $1,255
Riyadh $1,740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Taif versus $2,559 in Riyadh.

Taif $1,844
Riyadh $2,559

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Taif versus $3,378 in Riyadh.

Taif $2,434
Riyadh $3,378

Living in Taif costs roughly 28% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taif is 7% below, Riyadh is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 SAR 20.09

$7.85 SAR 29.47

-31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.34 SAR 144

$65.0 SAR 244

-41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 SAR 27.76

$8.11 SAR 30.43

-8.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$2.15 SAR 8.06

0.93%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.97 SAR 11.15

-56.23%

Cappuccino

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$4.16 SAR 15.62

-48.08%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.60

$0.84 SAR 3.14

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 SAR 0.84

$0.32 SAR 1.21

-31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.76 SAR 6.61

1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.26 SAR 4.74

-79.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$2.47 SAR 9.27

-6.07%

Eggs

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$3.16 SAR 11.85

-17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 SAR 22.60

$10.37 SAR 38.91

-41.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 SAR 25.35

$9.81 SAR 36.80

-31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 SAR 34.45

$14.75 SAR 55.4

-37.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$2.93 SAR 10.99

-20.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.72

$1.98 SAR 7.41

-9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 SAR 7.07

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$1.80 SAR 6.76

2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.19 SAR 4.45

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.33 SAR 5.00

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$1.76 SAR 6.62

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

$0.56 SAR 2.12

48.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

$8.00 SAR 30.03

-62.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-19.89%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

$2.40 SAR 9.00

-15.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.72

$7.77 SAR 29.15

-15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-0.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.81 SAR 138

$37.01 SAR 139

-0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$3.10 SAR 11.63

-58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 SAR 7.60

$1.88 SAR 7.05

7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 SAR 35.06

$13.55 SAR 50.8

-31.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.23

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-7.69%

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

$26.1K SAR 97.8K

$25.9K SAR 97.2K

0.65%

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

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

$22.2K SAR 83.3K

-1.02%

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

$142 SAR 531

$108 SAR 405

31.32%

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

$27.78 SAR 104

$28.99 SAR 109

-4.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 SAR 258

$72.3 SAR 271

-5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$146 SAR 550

$88.3 SAR 331

65.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 SAR 50.1

$56.3 SAR 211

-76.25%

Cinema Ticket

$20.00 SAR 75.1

$13.43 SAR 50.4

48.92%

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

$183 SAR 688

$529 SAR 1,986

-65.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,266 SAR 12.3K

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

-67.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.45 SAR 159

$58.9 SAR 221

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 SAR 214

$53.9 SAR 202

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SAR 360

$103 SAR 385

-6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$102 SAR 383

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 SAR 2,166

$1,170 SAR 4,392

-50.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$834 SAR 3,130

-54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,127

$2,231 SAR 8,372

-62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 SAR 2,144

$1,218 SAR 4,571

-53.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 SAR 8,893

$3,007 SAR 11.3K

-21.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 SAR 5,050

$1,910 SAR 7,169

-29.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,574 SAR 5,906

$2,077 SAR 7,795

-24.23%

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 Taif: October 18, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taif

$377 30.1%

Riyadh

$834 48% 121% $457

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taif

$238 19%

Riyadh

$209 12% 12.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Taif

$186 14.9%

Riyadh

$115 6.6% 38.3% $71

Groceries & Markets

Taif

$179 14.3%

Riyadh

$243 14% 35.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Taif

$127 10.2%

Riyadh

$143 8.2% 12.2% $16

Eating Out

Taif

$95 7.5%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 49.7% $47

Getting Around

Taif

$52 4.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 2.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Taif and $1,170 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 32% 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: $38.00 in Taif vs $65.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $243 per month, with Taif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Taif

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

Same time as Taif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,970

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

Taif Riyadh 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Taif
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

Taif vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taif and Riyadh differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,255 vs $1,740 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $577 in Taif versus $1,170 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,255 per month in Taif versus $1,740 in Riyadh – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taif runs roughly 1% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,255 in Taif versus $1,740 in Riyadh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Taif 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, Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.