Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Unaizah and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Unaizah: $1,221 a month against $1,471 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
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Unaizah Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Unaizah 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 Unaizah and in Al Khobar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Unaizah versus $1,471 in Al Khobar.

Unaizah $1,221
Al Khobar $1,471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,813 in Unaizah versus $2,231 in Al Khobar.

Unaizah $1,813
Al Khobar $2,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,405 in Unaizah versus $2,991 in Al Khobar.

Unaizah $2,405
Al Khobar $2,991

Living in Unaizah costs roughly 17% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Unaizah is 10% below, Al Khobar is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 SAR 25.07

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 SAR 150

$60.2 SAR 226

-33.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 SAR 26.48

$8.14 SAR 30.57

-13.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-26.54%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$2.67 SAR 10.03

-31.46%

Cappuccino

$4.40 SAR 16.52

$4.35 SAR 16.33

1.15%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$0.94 SAR 3.54

-22.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.41 SAR 1.53

-31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 SAR 1.67

$1.24 SAR 4.67

-64.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.51

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-7.72%

Eggs

$4.76 SAR 17.87

$2.35 SAR 8.81

102.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 SAR 17.09

$7.42 SAR 27.87

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 SAR 17.50

$10.09 SAR 37.87

-53.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 SAR 47.64

$11.69 SAR 43.86

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-33.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

$1.71 SAR 6.40

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.51

$1.74 SAR 6.52

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

$1.42 SAR 5.33

48.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.67 SAR 6.25

55.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-22.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.53 SAR 2.01

20.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

$2.62 SAR 9.82

7.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.58 SAR 5.92

27.22%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

$1.87 SAR 7.03

15.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$6.80 SAR 25.50

-0.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$0.93 SAR 3.49

2.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.56 SAR 152

$54.5 SAR 204

-25.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.76 SAR 6.61

47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$2.68 SAR 10.07

-41.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.03 SAR 60.2

$14.22 SAR 53.4

12.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.63 SAR 2.38

-12.70%

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

$27.6K SAR 103.5K

$66.8K SAR 250.9K

-58.73%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.6K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

1.60%

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

$103 SAR 386

$96.9 SAR 364

6.08%

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

$32.41 SAR 122

$32.58 SAR 122

-0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 SAR 252

$68.3 SAR 256

-1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 SAR 203

$80.1 SAR 301

-32.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 SAR 136

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 SAR 49.64

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-13.07%

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

$471 SAR 1,767

$599 SAR 2,249

-21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,262 SAR 34.8K

$18.6K SAR 69.9K

-50.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 SAR 170

$63.5 SAR 238

-28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 SAR 199

$83.0 SAR 311

-36.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SAR 377

$97.4 SAR 366

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 SAR 302

$94.8 SAR 356

-15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 SAR 2,207

$762 SAR 2,860

-22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,651

$584 SAR 2,192

-24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 SAR 2,853

$1,226 SAR 4,602

-38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 SAR 2,567

$912 SAR 3,424

-25.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 SAR 7,717

$1,437 SAR 5,392

43.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 SAR 4,711

$1,037 SAR 3,894

20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,550 SAR 9,571

$1,872 SAR 7,028

36.18%

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 Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Unaizah

$440 36%

Al Khobar

$584 39.7% 32.7% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Unaizah

$202 16.6%

Al Khobar

$198 13.4% 2.3% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Unaizah

$187 15.3%

Al Khobar

$217 14.8% 16.2% $30

Eating Out

Unaizah

$131 10.8%

Al Khobar

$136 9.2% 3.4% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Unaizah

$126 10.3%

Al Khobar

$152 10.4% 21.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Unaizah

$81 6.6%

Al Khobar

$111 7.5% 37.3% $30

Getting Around

Unaizah

$55 4.5%

Al Khobar

$73 5% 33.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $588 in Unaizah and $762 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Unaizah vs $60 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $217 per month, with Unaizah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

Same time as Unaizah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,729

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Unaizah Al Khobar 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Unaizah
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

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

Unaizah wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Unaizah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Unaizah, 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: $588 in Unaizah 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 Unaizah runs roughly 26% less than in Al Khobar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $471 in Unaizah versus $599 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Unaizah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Unaizah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.