Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,031 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Yanbu
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,031
/mo nomad
Al Khobar
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,405
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Yanbu versus $1,405 in Al Khobar.

  • Yanbu $1,031
  • Al Khobar $1,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,633 in Yanbu versus $2,186 in Al Khobar.

  • Yanbu $1,633
  • Al Khobar $2,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Yanbu versus $2,967 in Al Khobar.

  • Yanbu $2,236
  • Al Khobar $2,967

Living in Yanbu costs roughly 27% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yanbu is 24% below, Al Khobar is 4% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.26 SAR 23.48
$6.53 SAR 24.51
-4.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.63 SAR 141
$59.2 SAR 222
-36.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.63 SAR 24.87
$7.86 SAR 29.50
-15.65%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.57 SAR 5.87
$2.74 SAR 10.28
-42.70%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 SAR 6.10
$2.68 SAR 10.05
-39.55%
Cappuccino
$3.89 SAR 14.61
$4.48 SAR 16.79
-13.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 SAR 3.24
$0.87 SAR 3.25
-1.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 SAR 0.76
$0.38 SAR 1.42
-47.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 SAR 6.53
$1.70 SAR 6.38
2.35%
White Bread (500g)
$0.92 SAR 3.47
$1.28 SAR 4.80
-28.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 SAR 8.12
$2.46 SAR 9.24
-12.20%
Eggs
$2.41 SAR 9.04
$2.32 SAR 8.69
3.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 SAR 24.44
$7.15 SAR 26.84
-8.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.27 SAR 31.02
$10.24 SAR 38.43
-19.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.89 SAR 48.36
$11.69 SAR 43.86
10.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 SAR 7.68
$2.62 SAR 9.83
-21.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 SAR 6.54
$1.76 SAR 6.59
-1.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 SAR 5.62
$1.98 SAR 7.43
-24.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 SAR 6.33
$1.77 SAR 6.64
-4.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.21
$1.36 SAR 5.11
-17.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 SAR 3.94
$1.66 SAR 6.24
-36.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 SAR 4.09
$1.66 SAR 6.23
-34.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 SAR 2.03
$0.53 SAR 2.01
1.89%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.31 SAR 4.92
$2.63 SAR 9.88
-50.19%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 SAR 5.10
$1.59 SAR 5.98
-14.47%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 SAR 8.20
$1.84 SAR 6.91
18.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.53 SAR 24.51
$6.66 SAR 25.00
-1.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 SAR 3.93
$0.73 SAR 2.75
43.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.72 SAR 138
$67.2 SAR 252
-45.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.13 SAR 11.76
$3.23 SAR 12.14
-3.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.83 SAR 3.12
$2.72 SAR 10.20
-69.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.99 SAR 52.5
$6.48 SAR 24.31
115.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.58 SAR 2.18
$0.63 SAR 2.37
-7.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.8K SAR 175.5K
$66.3K SAR 248.6K
-29.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K SAR 80.9K
$22.5K SAR 84.6K
-4.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.7 SAR 340
$99.6 SAR 374
-8.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.55 SAR 84.6
$33.32 SAR 125
-32.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.7 SAR 258
$70.5 SAR 265
-2.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.7 SAR 370
$82.0 SAR 308
20.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.18 SAR 98.2
$37.23 SAR 140
-29.68%
Cinema Ticket
$11.97 SAR 44.91
$15.07 SAR 56.6
-20.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$268 SAR 1,007
$589 SAR 2,210
-54.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,785 SAR 14.2K
$8,524 SAR 32.0K
-55.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 SAR 279
$62.0 SAR 233
20.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.8 SAR 213
$83.0 SAR 312
-31.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 SAR 368
$97.2 SAR 365
0.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.7 SAR 352
$93.9 SAR 352
-0.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$308 SAR 1,156
$630 SAR 2,363
-51.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$216 SAR 810
$499 SAR 1,873
-56.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$602 SAR 2,261
$1,187 SAR 4,454
-49.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$424 SAR 1,592
$860 SAR 3,226
-50.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,369 SAR 8,890
$2,404 SAR 9,020
-1.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,269 SAR 4,763
$1,444 SAR 5,417
-12.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yanbu
Al Khobar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,510 SAR 13.2K
$1,829 SAR 6,864
91.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
5.88
-8.33%

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

Last update for Yanbu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yanbu
$216
Al Khobar
$499 131% $283
Groceries & Markets
Yanbu
$196
Al Khobar
$217 11% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yanbu
$182
Al Khobar
$203 11.8% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Yanbu
$145
Al Khobar
$151 4.1% $5.9
Sport & Entertainment
Yanbu
$123
Al Khobar
$112 8.5% $10
Eating Out
Yanbu
$121
Al Khobar
$135 11.2% $14
Getting Around
Yanbu
$48
Al Khobar
$87 80.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $308 in Yanbu and $630 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 92% 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 Yanbu vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $217 per month, with Yanbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Yanbu
🇸🇦 Al Khobar
🕒 Local time
14:36 2:36 PM
14:36 2:36 PM
Same time as Yanbu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
233,236
219,679
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yanbu Al Khobar 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yanbu
  • 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
Yanbu vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Yanbu or Al Khobar?
Yanbu wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yanbu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Yanbu or in Al Khobar?
Average pay runs 92% higher in Yanbu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Yanbu compared to Al Khobar?
Rent for a central apartment: $308 in Yanbu versus $630 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Yanbu compared to Al Khobar?
A monthly transit pass in Yanbu runs roughly 83% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Yanbu and in Al Khobar?
Childcare runs $268 in Yanbu versus $589 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Yanbu or in Al Khobar?
At $1,031 in Yanbu versus $1,405 in Al Khobar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Yanbu or Al Khobar?
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.
How safe is Yanbu compared to Al Khobar?
Safety-wise, Yanbu and Al Khobar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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