Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Dhahran

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,330 a month against $1,373 in Dhahran, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. The total is higher in Dhahran despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Dhahran

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

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Taipei vs $1,373 in Dhahran, rent included.

Taipei $1,330
Dhahran $1,373

A couple spends around $2,145 per month in Taipei vs $1,761 in Dhahran, rent included.

Taipei $2,145
Dhahran $1,761

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Taipei vs $2,149 in Dhahran, rent included.

Taipei $2,959
Dhahran $2,149

Taipei is about 3% cheaper than Dhahran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$153

$5.41 SAR 20.31

-13.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 NT$1,504

$39.83 SAR 149

15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 NT$189

$6.46 SAR 24.24

-10.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

Cappuccino

$3.37 NT$110

$3.82 SAR 14.35

-11.78%

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

$0.91 NT$29.61

$0.69 SAR 2.57

31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.58

$0.20 SAR 0.75

230.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 NT$97.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NT$119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 NT$96.2

$1.56 SAR 5.86

89.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$62.8

$0.94 SAR 3.51

104.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.99 SAR 7.47

55.78%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$85.3

$3.91 SAR 14.67

-32.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.04 NT$621

$8.66 SAR 32.51

119.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NT$311

$11.22 SAR 42.12

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.87 NT$680

$13.79 SAR 51.7

51.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 NT$154

$2.09 SAR 7.83

125.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 NT$109

$1.44 SAR 5.40

131.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 NT$96.1

$1.81 SAR 6.81

62.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$139

$1.75 SAR 6.58

143.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 NT$89.8

$1.47 SAR 5.53

87.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NT$72.5

$0.97 SAR 3.63

128.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 NT$54.1

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$35.08

$0.85 SAR 3.17

27.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.72 SAR 17.70

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$129

$5.51 SAR 20.68

-28.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 NT$453

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 NT$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$71.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 NT$18.98

$0.90 SAR 3.37

-35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.25 NT$1,182

$55.6 SAR 209

-34.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 NT$82.7

$1.37 SAR 5.15

85.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.44

$3.30 SAR 12.38

-77.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.99 NT$293

$9.26 SAR 34.75

-2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.62

$0.63 SAR 2.38

58.73%

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

$34.6K NT$1.1M

$36.3K SAR 136.4K

-4.68%

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

$23.0K NT$750.9K

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

6.57%

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

$85.6 NT$2,791

$61.2 SAR 230

39.81%

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

$16.94 NT$552

$43.31 SAR 163

-60.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.94 NT$878

$65.9 SAR 247

-59.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.55 NT$1,290

$195 SAR 733

-79.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.36 NT$501

$95.1 SAR 357

-83.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.72 NT$317

$10.51 SAR 39.44

-7.52%

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

$710 NT$23.1K

$66.2 SAR 248

972.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$532.8K

$13.6K SAR 51.0K

20.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NT$2,021

$50.7 SAR 190

22.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 NT$1,281

$42.77 SAR 161

-8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 NT$2,742

$77.0 SAR 289

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NT$3,316

$90.4 SAR 339

12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NT$31.3K

$366 SAR 1,375

162.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 NT$14.9K

$449 SAR 1,683

1.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NT$49.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 NT$30.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.4K NT$372.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,882 NT$224.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,703 NT$55.5K

$2,804 SAR 10.5K

-39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

4.5

-46.67%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$456 34.3%

Dhahran

$449 32.7% 1.6% $7.2

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$388 29.2%

Dhahran

$232 16.9% 40.3% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$129 9.7%

Dhahran

$170 12.4% 31.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$129 9.7%

Dhahran

$117 8.6% 9.1% $12

Eating Out

Taipei

$124 9.3%

Dhahran

$112 8.2% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$59 4.4%

Dhahran

$216 15.8% 267% $157

Getting Around

Taipei

$45 3.4%

Dhahran

$77 5.6% 71.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $961 in Taipei versus $366 in Dhahran. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Dhahran. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Taipei versus $40 in Dhahran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $232 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

5 h behind Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

120,521

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.39 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taipei Dhahran 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Dhahran

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

Taipei vs Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhahran costs about 3% more than Taipei, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Taipei and $2,060 in Dhahran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $366 there versus $961 in Taipei.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Taipei and $1,373 in Dhahran. That makes Taipei about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Taipei. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Dhahran has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,330 in Taipei to $1,373 in Dhahran. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Taipei. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dhahran makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.