Saudi Arabia : Cost of Living by City
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country that occupies most of the Arabian peninsula.
It’s a very important country for all Muslims since it’s the home to the holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina, to which all physically and financially able Muslims are required to visit.
Prices are generally relatively cheap: count on spending around 50$ a day if you’re in a splurging mood.
The cost of living in this country completely depends on your situation and the city you’re in and the way you spend depends on your job and salary.
Cost of Living Breakdown in Saudi Arabia
RESTAURANTS
Fast food is a huge business in Saudi Arabia, so you can expect all the usual chain restaurants like Mcdonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, and a few chains that you’ll rarely see outside of America like Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. or Little Caesars.
Even cheaper than that are the curry shops run by Saudi Arabia’s large Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi communities, where you can eat for low as 1.30$.
The food here is low in cost and high in quality.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $6.66 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.60 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.26 |
MARKETS
If you cook by yourself you’ll save up a whole lot of money.
Here you can find huge chains of supermarkets where you’ll find whatever you need.
What’s interesting for foreigners are the locally grown high-quality dates that can be a bit expensive.
Everything else is pretty cheap.
There are well-maintained air-conditioned malls and grocery stores scattered throughout the country.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.62 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.85 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.50 |
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation cost depends on whether you own a car or not.
If you do – then you need to spend only on oil and it’s very cheap in Saudi Arabia.
As for public transport – within cities, taxis are the only practical means of transportation, and they’re mostly cheap while in some cities you’ll often have to haggle the price in advance.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $1.07 |
| Monthly Pass | $26.65 |
| Gasoline | $0.61 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are rather cheap in Saudi Arabia, like most things – in fact, they’re cheaper than in most countries around the world.
The utilities there amount up to only around 104.01$ for a month for basic ones like electricity, water, cooling, heating and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2.
Internet however, is pretty expensive compared to this and especially compared to many other countries.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $104.01 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.14 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $72.42 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
Entertainment in Saudi Arabia is limited at best, and when present is often family-oriented.
This applies to cinemas and theaters too, while gyms and fitness clubs are segregated by gender.
On top of this, the cost of staying active in Saudi Arabia is through the roof!
A month of going to the gym or being a member of a fitness club will cost you a whopping 93.97$ – that’s more than in most countries around the world.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $93.97 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $35.63 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $17.32 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
Clothes of famous brands usually have the same prices as in Europe which is generally higher than in the US.
For example, Levi’s jeans cost about 50$.
You can buy simpler pieces of clothing like shirts or summer dresses in mass chain stores for prices of around 60$ too.
Quality sneakers are more expensive, standing at around 97$.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $46.17 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $58.74 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $97.83 |
RENT PER MONTH
Rent isn’t too high in Saudi Arabia.
Though your accommodation rent will be lower if you share an apartment – which would cost you around 180$ a month, a one-bedroom apartment shouldn’t cost too much either.
Depending on your particular city and location, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center would amount to up to 458.5$, while one a bit further would cost around 335.73$.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $458.5 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $335.73 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $754.19 |
HEALTHCARE
Saudi Arabia has a public healthcare system that is free for citizens, funded through taxes, with private insurance common for expatriates.
Private insurance premiums typically range from 50 to 150 USD per month.
Out-of-pocket expenses average 200-500 USD per person per year, mainly for private services and medications.
With average monthly salaries of 2,500 to 3,000 USD, healthcare costs are generally affordable.
EDUCATION
Public primary and secondary schools are free for citizens, with families paying for uniforms, books, and supplies.
Private and international schools charge $8,000 to $25,000 per year.
Public universities charge low tuition, roughly $1,500 to $3,000 annually, while private universities cost $6,000 to $15,000 per year.
Students also pay for housing, food, transport, and textbooks.
Average monthly income is about $3,000, making private schooling and university living costs a significant portion of income.
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Saudi Arabia?
As expected, the biggest chunk of the paycheck of Saudi Arabia’s citizens gets spent on food, which takes up well over 300% of one’s whole paycheck.
This doesn’t mean that food is expensive, but that everything else is extremely cheap.
The next huge expense is rent since the standard is high in this country.
However, though it’s one of the biggest expenses, rent really isn’t that big of a financial burden.
What is shockingly high is the percentage of sports expenses.
As much as 16% of one’s entire salary gets spent on sports.
This is very unusual and rare in most countries of the world.
Average Costs Breakdown
Saudi Arabia: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
One of the greatest things about living in Saudi Arabia is its very high salaries.
Though unemployment among young Saudis is a serious problem which, in part, can be explained by the fact that Saudi people are reluctant to take many types of work, the standard of living is seriously high.
The average monthly net salary is around 1,967.46$, which, taking into account the low prices in the country, is staggeringly high.
With this type of income, most people can live like royalty.
Even the minimum wage in Saudi Arabia of 800$ is more than enough to live a comfortable, relaxed life and never have to worry about money.
Saudi Arabia Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Saudi Arabia Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | MEDIUM |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | MEDIUM |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | LOW |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | MEDIUM |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | MEDIUM |
| SCAMS RISK | LOW |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | MEDIUM |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in Saudi Arabia
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Ad Dammam |
48.43 |
| Al Khobar |
50.6 |
| Jeddah (Jiddah) |
49.99 |
| Riyadh |
48.68 |
I can’t believe you can really get by on just 50 bucks a day there! That’s way cheaper than I expected for such an important place. It makes me think about how travel costs can be so different in various countries.