Cost of Living · NZ vs SA
🇳🇿 Auckland vs 🇸🇦 Riyadh: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,138 in New Zealand vs $1,033 in Saudi Arabia — 51.67% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Saudi Arabia
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -56.38%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -56.38%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -56.38%
Closest to New Zealand prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -20.88%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -21.1%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -21.11%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | New Zealand | Saudi Arabia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,529 | $667 (2,501 SAR) | -56.38% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,223 | $533 (2,001 SAR) | -56.38% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,796 | $1,219 (4,573 SAR) | -56.38% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $16.19 | $8.43 (32 SAR) | -47.93% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $67.45 | $35.14 (132 SAR) | -47.9% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $9.99 | $5.52 (21 SAR) | -44.74% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.02 | $0.63 (2 SAR) | -38.24% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.96 | $1.84 (7 SAR) | -37.84% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.15 | $1.96 (7 SAR) | -37.78% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $9.26 | $5.76 (22 SAR) | -37.8% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.70 | $2.30 (9 SAR) | -37.84% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.44 | $2.77 (10 SAR) | -37.61% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $11.11 | $6.91 (26 SAR) | -37.8% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.85 | $1.15 (4 SAR) | -37.84% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.40 | $2.81 (11 SAR) | -47.96% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.70 | $6.07 (23 SAR) | -21.17% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $4.50 | $2.34 (9 SAR) | -48% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.13 | $1.33 (5 SAR) | -37.56% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $59.02 | $32.63 (122 SAR) | -44.71% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.50 | $1.38 (5 SAR) | -44.8% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.60 | $1.87 (7 SAR) | -48.06% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.62 | $0.84 (3 SAR) | -48.15% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.91 | $0.72 (3 SAR) | -20.88% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $182 | $100 (377 SAR) | -44.71% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $63.56 | $35.14 (132 SAR) | -44.71% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $40.86 | $22.59 (85 SAR) | -44.71% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $44.96 | $23.43 (88 SAR) | -47.89% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $12.59 | $6.56 (25 SAR) | -47.9% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $26.98 | $14.06 (53 SAR) | -47.89% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $52.92 | $41.75 (157 SAR) | -21.11% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $86.59 | $68.32 (256 SAR) | -21.1% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $225 | $117 (439 SAR) | -47.9% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Saudi Arabia than New Zealand?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,033 in Saudi Arabia versus $2,138 in New Zealand — 51.67% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Saudi Arabia?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.81 in Saudi Arabia (≈ 10.54 SAR), versus about $5.40 in New Zealand.
- How much is rent in Saudi Arabia compared to New Zealand?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $667/month in Saudi Arabia versus $1,529/month in New Zealand (-56.38%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.