Cost of Living · KR vs SA
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇸🇦 Riyadh: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $1,033 in Saudi Arabia — 25.64% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Saudi Arabia
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -28.82%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -28.82%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -28.82%
Closest to South Korea prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -8.86%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -9.26%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -9.26%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Saudi Arabia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $667 (2,501 SAR) | -28.82% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $533 (2,001 SAR) | -28.82% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $1,219 (4,573 SAR) | -28.82% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $8.43 (32 SAR) | -23.5% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $35.14 (132 SAR) | -23.44% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $5.52 (21 SAR) | -21.59% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $0.63 (2 SAR) | -18.18% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $1.84 (7 SAR) | -17.86% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $1.96 (7 SAR) | -17.65% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $5.76 (22 SAR) | -17.71% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $2.30 (9 SAR) | -17.86% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $2.77 (10 SAR) | -17.56% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $6.91 (26 SAR) | -17.74% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $1.15 (4 SAR) | -17.86% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $2.81 (11 SAR) | -23.43% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $6.07 (23 SAR) | -9.27% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $2.34 (9 SAR) | -23.53% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $1.33 (5 SAR) | -17.39% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $32.63 (122 SAR) | -21.56% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $1.38 (5 SAR) | -21.59% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $1.87 (7 SAR) | -23.67% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $0.84 (3 SAR) | -23.64% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $0.72 (3 SAR) | -8.86% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $100 (377 SAR) | -21.56% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $35.14 (132 SAR) | -21.56% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $22.59 (85 SAR) | -21.56% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $23.43 (88 SAR) | -23.43% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $6.56 (25 SAR) | -23.45% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $14.06 (53 SAR) | -23.42% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $41.75 (157 SAR) | -9.26% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $68.32 (256 SAR) | -9.26% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $117 (439 SAR) | -23.45% |
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 South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,033 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,390 in South Korea — 25.64% 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 $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Saudi Arabia compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $667/month in Saudi Arabia versus $937/month in South Korea (-28.82%). 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.