Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,182 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
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Umluj Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Umluj versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Umluj $1,182
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Umluj versus $2,567 in Riyadh.

Umluj $1,758
Riyadh $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,333 in Umluj versus $3,396 in Riyadh.

Umluj $2,333
Riyadh $3,396

Living in Umluj costs roughly 32% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Umluj is 12% below, Riyadh is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 SAR 22.41

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-26.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.58 SAR 141

$66.3 SAR 249

-43.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 SAR 30.76

$8.16 SAR 30.64

0.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.15

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-8.17%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-23.49%

Cappuccino

$3.26 SAR 12.23

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-23.29%

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

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.91

$1.26 SAR 4.72

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.92

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-2.06%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.00

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-23.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.54

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-28.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.76

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-18.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 SAR 48.99

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.39

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-21.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.40

$1.18 SAR 4.44

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.28 SAR 4.81

3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.57 SAR 2.12

1.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-63.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-3.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-15.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 SAR 24.65

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.07 SAR 4.03

1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.82 SAR 138

$37.34 SAR 140

-1.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-15.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$1.81 SAR 6.79

2.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 SAR 50.9

$13.23 SAR 49.66

2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.65 SAR 2.44

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

$44.5K SAR 167.0K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

28.38%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-5.81%

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

$102 SAR 383

$106 SAR 396

-3.29%

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

$32.15 SAR 121

$29.61 SAR 111

8.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 SAR 250

$70.7 SAR 265

-5.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 SAR 305

$91.6 SAR 344

-11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 SAR 49.37

$13.09 SAR 49.11

0.53%

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

$428 SAR 1,608

$523 SAR 1,963

-18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 SAR 30.4K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-21.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.94 SAR 157

$58.8 SAR 221

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 SAR 204

$53.1 SAR 199

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 SAR 368

$101 SAR 379

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 SAR 322

$103 SAR 386

-16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 SAR 2,180

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-50.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 SAR 1,409

$832 SAR 3,122

-54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 SAR 3,039

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SAR 2,171

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-52.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,332 SAR 8,752

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-22.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 SAR 5,150

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-28.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,243 SAR 15.9K

$2,067 SAR 7,757

105.29%

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 Umluj: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Umluj

$376 31.8%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 122% $457

Groceries & Markets

Umluj

$204 17.2%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 18.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Umluj

$201 17%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 2.6% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Umluj

$126 10.7%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 12.7% $16

Eating Out

Umluj

$116 9.8%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 25.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Umluj

$108 9.1%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 9.5% $10

Getting Around

Umluj

$53 4.5%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 1.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $581 in Umluj and $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Umluj vs $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $242 per month, with Umluj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Umluj

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

Same time as Umluj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,757

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

Umluj Riyadh 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Umluj
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

Umluj vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj and Riyadh differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,182 vs $1,738 including rent). Umluj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Umluj, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $581 in Umluj 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 $1,182 per month in Umluj versus $1,738 in Riyadh – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,182 in Umluj versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Umluj but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Umluj 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, Umluj 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 Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.