Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Unaizah and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Unaizah: $1,221 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
Learn more

Unaizah Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index

Jump to prices

Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Unaizah versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Unaizah $1,221
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,813 in Unaizah versus $2,575 in Riyadh.

Unaizah $1,813
Riyadh $2,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,405 in Unaizah versus $3,413 in Riyadh.

Unaizah $2,405
Riyadh $3,413

Living in Unaizah costs roughly 30% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Unaizah is 10% below, Riyadh is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 SAR 25.07

$8.20 SAR 30.79

-18.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 SAR 150

$65.6 SAR 246

-38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 SAR 26.48

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-12.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

$2.10 SAR 7.87

-9.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$2.86 SAR 10.74

-36.01%

Cappuccino

$4.40 SAR 16.52

$4.43 SAR 16.64

-0.68%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$0.87 SAR 3.28

-16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.33 SAR 1.25

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.80 SAR 6.75

-8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 SAR 1.67

$1.29 SAR 4.83

-65.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.51

$2.34 SAR 8.80

-2.99%

Eggs

$4.76 SAR 17.87

$3.11 SAR 11.67

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 SAR 17.09

$10.65 SAR 39.96

-57.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 SAR 17.50

$9.36 SAR 35.12

-50.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 SAR 47.64

$15.07 SAR 56.6

-15.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$2.92 SAR 10.95

-37.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

$1.95 SAR 7.32

1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

$2.49 SAR 9.35

-26.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.51

$1.70 SAR 6.39

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

$1.18 SAR 4.43

78.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.33 SAR 5.00

95.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.75 SAR 6.58

-26.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$0.53 SAR 2.00

20.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

$7.91 SAR 29.69

-64.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.73 SAR 6.51

16.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$7.85 SAR 29.45

-14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$1.03 SAR 3.86

-7.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.56 SAR 152

$36.93 SAR 139

9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$3.22 SAR 12.10

-19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.91 SAR 7.18

-17.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.03 SAR 60.2

$13.08 SAR 49.10

22.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.64 SAR 2.41

-14.06%

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

$27.6K SAR 103.5K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

3.67%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.6K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

-2.91%

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

$103 SAR 386

$105 SAR 394

-2.16%

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

$32.41 SAR 122

$29.43 SAR 110

10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 SAR 252

$69.3 SAR 260

-3.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 SAR 203

$77.4 SAR 291

-30.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 SAR 209

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 SAR 49.64

$14.00 SAR 52.6

-5.50%

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

$471 SAR 1,767

$555 SAR 2,082

-15.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,262 SAR 34.8K

$17.0K SAR 63.7K

-45.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 SAR 170

$58.3 SAR 219

-22.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 SAR 199

$53.8 SAR 202

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SAR 377

$104 SAR 391

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 SAR 302

$104 SAR 391

-22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 SAR 2,207

$1,138 SAR 4,270

-48.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,651

$842 SAR 3,160

-47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 SAR 2,853

$2,159 SAR 8,102

-64.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 SAR 2,567

$1,263 SAR 4,739

-45.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 SAR 7,717

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

-24.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 SAR 4,711

$1,655 SAR 6,212

-24.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,550 SAR 9,571

$2,088 SAR 7,837

22.12%

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 Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Unaizah

$440 36%

Riyadh

$842 48.5% 91.4% $402

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Unaizah

$202 16.6%

Riyadh

$204 11.7% 0.7% $1.4

Groceries & Markets

Unaizah

$187 15.3%

Riyadh

$241 13.9% 29.1% $54

Eating Out

Unaizah

$131 10.8%

Riyadh

$148 8.5% 12.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Unaizah

$126 10.3%

Riyadh

$144 8.3% 14.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Unaizah

$81 6.6%

Riyadh

$105 6.1% 31% $25

Getting Around

Unaizah

$55 4.5%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $588 in Unaizah and $1,138 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 22% 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 $66 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $241 per month, with Unaizah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Unaizah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,729

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Unaizah Riyadh 320 km

From you

Unaizah
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

Unaizah vs Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,221 in Unaizah and $1,738 in Riyadh, so Unaizah is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,138 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,221 per month in Unaizah versus $1,738 in Riyadh – Unaizah is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Riyadh runs roughly 9% less than in Unaizah. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Riyadh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.