Cost of Living in Saudi Arabia - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Saudi Arabia
Address: SA

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $737 (excluding rent), and $1,247 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $1,791 (excluding rent), and $2,499 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 SAR 24.79

$3.97 SAR 14.89

$13.22 SAR 49.59

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.56 SAR 148

$26.37 SAR 98.9

$79.9 SAR 300

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$6.53 SAR 24.48

$9.14 SAR 34.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$3.27 SAR 12.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.07

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$3.23 SAR 12.10

Cappuccino

$3.67 SAR 13.76

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$6.07 SAR 22.75

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$0.66 SAR 2.47

$1.05 SAR 3.95

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$0.16 SAR 0.59

$0.56 SAR 2.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$2.35 SAR 8.81

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SAR 3.66

$0.26 SAR 0.99

$1.83 SAR 6.85

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$2.97 SAR 11.15

Eggs

$2.54 SAR 9.54

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$4.83 SAR 18.10

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.46 SAR 27.99

$4.09 SAR 15.36

$16.37 SAR 61.4

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 SAR 29.47

$3.89 SAR 14.59

$11.66 SAR 43.73

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 SAR 49.05

$8.00 SAR 30.01

$18.68 SAR 70.0

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.02

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$3.15 SAR 11.83

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.21

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$2.69 SAR 10.07

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.27

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$2.68 SAR 10.05

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

$0.79 SAR 2.96

$2.37 SAR 8.89

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.97

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$2.15 SAR 8.08

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$0.78 SAR 2.91

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

$0.41 SAR 1.52

$2.44 SAR 9.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.11

$0.38 SAR 1.43

$1.02 SAR 3.83

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.23 SAR 15.85

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$12.99 SAR 48.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.51

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$3.14 SAR 11.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SAR 27.38

$6.25 SAR 23.45

$9.13 SAR 34.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.12 SAR 139

$13.26 SAR 49.71

$55.7 SAR 209

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.85

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$5.26 SAR 19.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$3.22 SAR 12.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.50

$7.92 SAR 29.69

$26.40 SAR 99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$0.66 SAR 2.46

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

$25.0K SAR 93.9K

$19.7K SAR 73.7K

$39.1K SAR 146.5K

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

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

$20.4K SAR 76.4K

$25.6K SAR 96.0K

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

$106 SAR 399

$66.5 SAR 250

$200 SAR 749

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

$33.13 SAR 124

$19.72 SAR 74.0

$48.39 SAR 181

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 SAR 268

$53.3 SAR 200

$98.7 SAR 370

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.0 SAR 349

$52.9 SAR 198

$159 SAR 595

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.30 SAR 159

$21.61 SAR 81.1

$59.6 SAR 223

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 SAR 60.9

$12.18 SAR 45.67

$21.66 SAR 81.2

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

$355 SAR 1,330

$161 SAR 605

$672 SAR 2,521

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,002 SAR 26.3K

$3,927 SAR 14.7K

$14.4K SAR 54.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 SAR 192

$17.17 SAR 64.4

$106 SAR 396

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 SAR 223

$21.66 SAR 81.2

$108 SAR 406

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$54.2 SAR 203

$141 SAR 528

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 SAR 306

$39.19 SAR 147

$157 SAR 588

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 SAR 1,806

$265 SAR 992

$1,191 SAR 4,466

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 SAR 1,506

$213 SAR 800

$1,066 SAR 3,998

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 SAR 3,383

$488 SAR 1,830

$2,711 SAR 10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 SAR 2,349

$393 SAR 1,475

$1,363 SAR 5,112

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,310 SAR 8,661

$1,135 SAR 4,256

$5,026 SAR 18.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 SAR 4,644

$656 SAR 2,461

$2,887 SAR 10.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,076 SAR 7,784

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

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

Last update: March 15, 2026

By City in Saudi Arabia

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	AL Kharj	-	48	$534	$954	$1,538	$2,078	262.59	167.84
2	Abha	236157	57	$769	$1,127	$1,942	$2,687	237.55	150.47
3	Ad Dammam	903312	61	$719	$1,202	$1,826	$2,551	38.92	191.37
4	Al Hufuf	660788	52	$606	$1,030	$1,785	$2,159	321.18	138.78
5	Al Khobar	219679	67	$835	$1,359	$1,990	$2,919	44.29	197.48
6	Al Majma'ah	-	62	$791	$1,267	$1,725	$2,601	-	-
7	Al Mubarraz	-	64	$763	$1,265	$1,808	$2,648	255.62	138.78
8	Al-Ula	32413	61	$664	$1,226	$1,912	$2,472	368.78	71.32
9	Al-hawiyah	148151	61	$794	$1,198	$2,011	$2,530	255.62	138.02
10	Ar-rass	121359	58	$709	$1,173	$1,596	$2,443	130.41	96.81
11	Arar	167057	61	$653	$1,231	$1,669	$2,522	112.29	153.64
12	Buraydah	467410	60	$843	$1,226	$2,161	$2,812	112.47	156.44
13	Dammam	903312	61	$749	$1,207	$1,734	$2,452	25.84	191.37
14	Dhahran	120521	66	$766	$1,332	$2,012	$2,730	207.04	213.98
15	Ha'il	310897	51	$713	$1,016	$1,686	$1,913	74.22	170.19
16	Hafar Al Batin	271642	60	$639	$1,204	$1,799	$2,347	43.91	160.48
17	Jeddah	3430697	61	$737	$1,207	$1,768	$2,521	98.88	194.69
18	Jizan	127743	51	$736	$1,021	$1,765	$2,199	139.02	119.6
19	Jubail	337778	53	$695	$1,057	$1,693	$2,214	23.56	171.09
20	Khafji	67012	59	$749	$1,200	$1,639	$2,502	53.54	177.2
21	Khamis Mushayt	430828	48	$705	$986	$1,635	$2,203	13.98	149.84
22	Mecca	1675368	53	$613	$1,061	$1,887	$2,792	84.22	155.27
23	Medina	1100093	74	$631	$1,498	$1,460	$2,173	92.02	194.47
24	Najran	298288	53	$764	$1,061	$1,805	$2,240	10.99	105.87
25	Qatif	87332	54	$587	$1,057	$1,847	$2,325	247.06	177.42
26	Rabigh	92072	57	$570	$1,151	$1,424	$2,252	89.15	72.86
27	Riyadh	5188286	89	$806	$1,776	$2,054	$3,199	206.34	206.55
28	Sakakah	242813	59	$721	$1,161	$1,871	$2,068	90.05	107.93
29	Tabuk	512629	67	$930	$1,346	$2,003	$2,726	25.06	172.26
30	Taif	579970	46	$635	$916	$1,534	$2,005	181.01	180.32
31	Umluj	37757	61	$692	$1,235	$1,812	$2,464	172.45	63.94
32	Unaizah	163729	58	$729	$1,163	$1,436	$2,338	42.22	132.15
33	Yanbu	233236	50	$667	$974	$1,587	$2,049	58.01	168.84

Saudi Arabia Median Internet Speeds (Updated January 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Saudi Arabia - Frequently Asked Questions

Cost of Living in Saudi Arabia is a useful framework to compare neighborhoods, cities, and your lifestyle choices on arrival. In Riyadh or Jeddah, housing and utilities can occupy a larger portion of your budget, while smaller towns tend to be more affordable. You may also see savings from domestic services, moderate grocery costs, and a car-friendly layout. Public transit quality varies, but ride-hailing and well-planned developments ease getting around. Seasonal heat drives cooling needs, yet modern compounds and amenities help keep costs predictable. Optimize your budget with longer leases, shared housing, and shopping at local markets for staples. Tip: Start with a short, flexible lease and compare neighborhoods by commute, amenities, and climate.

Daily life blends modern convenience with regional flavor. You'll find housing options from secure compounds to affordable apartments; seek leases that include utilities or offer flexible terms. Food choices span lively markets, casual eateries, and international supermarkets. Transport leans car-centric in many areas, with ride-hailing and limited public transit as practical options. For work or study, co-working spaces and cafes can be your go-to spots. Plan errands around prayer times and traffic rhythms. Having visibility into Saudi Arabia living cost helps you budget for housing, groceries, and utilities as you plan a stay. Tip: Map out a few reliable neighborhoods and set up a tour before you commit to a lease.

Quality of life in Saudi Arabia often comes from neighborhood fit, daily routines, and smart budgeting. Use a simple framework: essentials, flexible extras, and savings. Look for neighborhoods with good services, green spaces, and walkable streets that fit your pace. Be mindful of climate-driven energy use in summer; choosing energy-efficient housing and sensible cooling can keep bills reasonable. Balance dining out with market purchases and home cooking, and leverage coworking spaces to manage work-life balance. If you travel seasonally, plan trips during shoulder periods when crowds and prices ease. Tip: Prioritize areas with easy access to supermarkets, healthcare, and safe public spaces to reduce errand time.