Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Saudi Arabia

Name: Saudi Arabia
Address: SA

For one person, living is cheaper in Saudi Arabia: $1,284 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Saudi Arabia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,284 in Saudi Arabia.

United States $2,734
Saudi Arabia $1,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,916 in Saudi Arabia.

United States $3,985
Saudi Arabia $1,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,549 in Saudi Arabia.

United States $5,235
Saudi Arabia $2,549

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $674–$1,738 in Saudi Arabia. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 113% more expensive than in Saudi Arabia on average.

The United States (101% above) and Saudi Arabia (6% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$6.74 SAR 25.28

197.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$40.36 SAR 151

98.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.14 SAR 30.53

44.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.95

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.78 SAR 14.19

46.83%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.75 SAR 2.83

254.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.27 SAR 1.02

703.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.70 SAR 6.39

-38.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.11 SAR 4.17

223.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.21 SAR 8.30

104.52%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.67 SAR 10.01

60.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$7.68 SAR 28.79

72.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$7.86 SAR 29.48

60.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$13.44 SAR 50.4

30.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.16 SAR 8.10

145.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.73 SAR 6.48

156.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.69 SAR 6.34

182.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.31 SAR 4.91

126.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.33 SAR 4.99

136.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.27 SAR 4.76

73.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.62 SAR 2.32

279.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.07 SAR 15.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$7.32 SAR 27.44

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.10 SAR 4.12

76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$38.07 SAR 143

56.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.74 SAR 10.26

30.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.70 SAR 10.12

-30.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$13.49 SAR 50.6

121.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.60 SAR 2.26

70.00%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$30.4K SAR 114.2K

-5.54%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

22.10%

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

$218 $218

$97.9 SAR 367

122.73%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$31.85 SAR 119

96.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$67.1 SAR 252

10.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$79.8 SAR 300

-47.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$39.07 SAR 147

-41.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$13.92 SAR 52.2

5.60%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$458 SAR 1,718

225.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$8,896 SAR 33.4K

183.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$48.43 SAR 182

12.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$56.7 SAR 213

-24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$89.5 SAR 336

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$86.3 SAR 324

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$641 SAR 2,404

158.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$460 SAR 1,726

192.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,008 SAR 3,781

166.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$699 SAR 2,623

210.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$2,013 SAR 7,551

63.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,252 SAR 4,696

98.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,864 SAR 6,992

130.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.4

21.30%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saudi Arabia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Saudi Arabia

$460 35.8% 65.9% $887

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Saudi Arabia

$206 16.1% 50.3% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Saudi Arabia

$197 15.3% 44.5% $158

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Saudi Arabia

$128 10% 61% $200

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Saudi Arabia

$126 9.9% 7.8% $11

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Saudi Arabia

$59 4.6% 26.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Saudi Arabia

$108 8.4% 51.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $556 in Saudi Arabia. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $1,149 in Riyadh.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $1,949 in Saudi Arabia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 191% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 88% more in the United States.

Public transport is 66% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

33,000,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

SAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Saudi Arabia 11,740 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Saudi Arabia

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

United States vs Saudi Arabia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,284 per month in Saudi Arabia and $2,734 in the United States, Saudi Arabia comes out about 53% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Saudi Arabia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $556 in Saudi Arabia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Saudi Arabia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Saudi Arabia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.