Cost of living in Saudi Arabia
Summary of cost of living in Saudi Arabia
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: ﷼ 16,868
- Single person estimated monthly costs: ﷼ 8,713 WARNING! These estimates are currently based on just a small amount of data. They provide a decent starting assumption, but they are not yet completely reliable.
Food | |||
---|---|---|---|
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | ﷼ 46 | ||
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | ﷼ 32 | ||
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | ﷼ 19 | ||
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | ﷼ 6 | ||
12 eggs, large | ﷼ 19 | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | ﷼ 7 | ||
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | ﷼ 23 | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | ﷼ 8 | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | ﷼ 4.82 | ||
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | - | ||
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | - | ||
2 liters of coca-cola | ﷼ 8 | ||
Bread for 2 people for 1 day | ﷼ 2.56 | ||
Housing | |||
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | ﷼ 7,183 | ||
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | ﷼ 4,567 | ||
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | ﷼ 1,857 | ||
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | ﷼ 4,912 | ||
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | ﷼ 3,449 | ||
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | ﷼ 1,201 | ||
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | ﷼ 250 | ||
40” flat screen tv | ﷼ 1,647 | ||
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | ﷼ 444 | ||
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | ﷼ 41 | ||
Hourly rate for cleaning help | ﷼ 75 | ||
Clothes | |||
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | ﷼ 263 | ||
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | ﷼ 386 | ||
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | ﷼ 489 | ||
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | ﷼ 560 | ||
Transportation | |||
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | ﷼ 95,764 | ||
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | ﷼ 1.94 | ||
Monthly ticket public transport | ﷼ 162 | ||
Personal Care | |||
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | ﷼ 15 | ||
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | ﷼ 82 | ||
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | ﷼ 299 | ||
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | ﷼ 55 | ||
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | ﷼ 36 | ||
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | ﷼ 17 | ||
4 rolls of toilet paper | ﷼ 11 | ||
Tube of toothpaste | ﷼ 19 | ||
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | ﷼ 41 | ||
Entertainment | |||
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | ﷼ 208 | ||
2 tickets to the movies | ﷼ 105 | ||
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | ﷼ 439 | ||
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | ﷼ 351 | ||
1 cocktail drink in downtown club | - | ||
Cappuccino in expat area of the city | ﷼ 21 | ||
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | - | ||
Ipad wi-fi 128gb | ﷼ 2,704 | ||
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | ﷼ 0.38 | ||
1 month of gym membership in business district | ﷼ 248 | ||
1 package of marlboro cigarettes | ﷼ 23 |
Moving to Saudi Arabia with your children?
International Schools in Saudi Arabia
Map of Cost of Living in Saudi Arabia

This map shows only the top cities in Saudi Arabia. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan
The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.
What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a
central reference city (that happens to be Prague).
Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the
database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.
List of all cities available in Saudi Arabia
Al Mubarraz | Al Qurayyat | Arar |
Buraidah | Dammam | Jeddah |
Jizan | Jubail | Khamis Mushait |
Mecca | Medina | Najran |
Riyadh | Sakaka | Sultanah |
Ta'if | Tabuk | Yanbu` al Bahr |
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 17% cheaper than in Dubai
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 12% more expensive than in Kuwait City
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 5% more expensive than in Madrid
- Cost of living in Al Mubarraz is about the same as in Zarqa
- Cost of living in Jeddah is 115% more expensive than in Mumbai
- Cost of living in Dammam is 28% cheaper than in Haifa
- Cost of living in Riyadh is about the same as in Jeddah
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 75% more expensive than in Lima
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 73% more expensive than in Johannesburg
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 160% more expensive than in Hyderabad, India
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 45% more expensive than in São Paulo
- Cost of living in Mecca is 12% more expensive than in Malaga
- Cost of living in Riyadh is about the same as in Seoul
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 61% more expensive than in Manila
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 27% more expensive than in Manama
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 100% more expensive than in Tunis
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 54% more expensive than in Casablanca
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 17% cheaper than in Doha
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 144% more expensive than in Bangalore
- Cost of living in Riyadh is 27% cheaper than in Amsterdam
Compare other countries
Prices recently added
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Jeddah costs ﷼ 10 (6 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Riyadh costs ﷼ 1,500 (6 days ago)
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Riyadh costs ﷼ 28 (7 days ago)
- 1 month of gym membership in business district in Riyadh costs ﷼ 400 (7 days ago)
- Ipad wi-fi 128gb in Riyadh costs ﷼ 1,600 (7 days ago)
- Cappuccino in expat area of the city in Riyadh costs ﷼ 10 (7 days ago)
- Nice dinner at an italian restaurant, dinner for two in Riyadh costs ﷼ 250 (7 days ago)
- 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) in Riyadh costs ﷼ 350 (7 days ago)
- 2 tickets to the movies in Riyadh costs ﷼ 100 (7 days ago)
- Basic dinner out in neighborhood pub, dinner for two in Riyadh costs ﷼ 50 (7 days ago)