Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,031 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
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Yanbu Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,031

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yanbu and in Dubai

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 Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Yanbu versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Yanbu $1,031
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,633 in Yanbu versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Yanbu $1,633
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Yanbu versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Yanbu $2,236
Dubai $5,872

Living in Yanbu costs roughly 64% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yanbu is 24% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 SAR 23.48

$12.67 AED 46.55

-50.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 SAR 141

$81.7 AED 300

-53.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 SAR 24.87

$9.34 AED 34.30

-29.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Cappuccino

$3.89 SAR 14.61

$5.89 AED 21.62

-33.96%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.69 AED 6.20

-49.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.76

$0.78 AED 2.86

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$1.84 AED 6.78

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.47

$1.50 AED 5.50

-38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.57 AED 9.45

-15.95%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.04

$3.32 AED 12.18

-27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 SAR 24.44

$12.60 AED 46.28

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.27 SAR 31.02

$9.66 AED 35.46

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 SAR 48.36

$12.78 AED 46.93

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

$2.60 AED 9.54

-21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.90 AED 6.99

-8.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.91 AED 7.02

-21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.37 AED 5.02

23.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.13 AED 4.14

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.01 AED 3.71

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.44 AED 5.30

-24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.03

$0.67 AED 2.48

-19.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$5.88 AED 21.59

11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.60 AED 5.87

-34.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.72 SAR 138

$76.0 AED 279

-51.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$3.24 AED 11.91

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 SAR 3.12

$0.71 AED 2.61

16.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.99 SAR 52.5

$7.96 AED 29.22

75.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.98 AED 3.62

-40.82%

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

$46.8K SAR 175.5K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

70.74%

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

$21.6K SAR 80.9K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-2.18%

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

$90.7 SAR 340

$249 AED 913

-63.49%

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

$22.55 SAR 84.6

$54.4 AED 200

-58.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 SAR 258

$91.5 AED 336

-24.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 SAR 370

$103 AED 380

-4.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.18 SAR 98.2

$42.32 AED 155

-38.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 SAR 44.91

$16.29 AED 59.8

-26.52%

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

$268 SAR 1,007

$844 AED 3,098

-68.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,785 SAR 14.2K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-79.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 SAR 279

$67.0 AED 246

11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 SAR 213

$57.9 AED 213

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 SAR 368

$102 AED 375

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 SAR 352

$98.7 AED 363

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 SAR 1,156

$2,393 AED 8,788

-87.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 SAR 810

$1,533 AED 5,630

-85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 SAR 2,261

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-86.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,592

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-85.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,890

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 SAR 4,763

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-69.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,510 SAR 13.2K

$3,461 AED 12.7K

1.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.54

18.72%

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

Last update for Yanbu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yanbu

$216 21%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 610% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Yanbu

$196 19%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 48.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yanbu

$182 17.7%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 117% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Yanbu

$145 14.1%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Yanbu

$123 11.9%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 10.9% $13

Eating Out

Yanbu

$121 11.7%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 152% $184

Getting Around

Yanbu

$48 4.7%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 84.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $308 in Yanbu and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 1% 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 $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 per month, with Yanbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

1 h ahead of Yanbu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

233,236

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yanbu Dubai 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Yanbu
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Yanbu, 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: $308 in Yanbu versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yanbu runs roughly 107% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $268 in Yanbu versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Yanbu versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yanbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Yanbu and Dubai 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.