Cost of Living · AE vs SA
🇦🇪 Dubai vs 🇸🇦 Riyadh: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,519 in United Arab Emirates vs $1,026 in Saudi Arabia — 32% cheaper.
- Essentials, United Arab Emirates
- $1,519/mo
- Essentials, Saudi Arabia
- $1,026/mo
- Difference
- -32%
- 1-bed city rent, Saudi Arabia
- $661/mo
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Saudi Arabia
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -36%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -36%
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -36%
Closest to United Arab Emirates prices
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -12%
- Running shoes (brand): -12%
- Jeans (mid-range brand): -12%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Arab Emirates | Saudi Arabia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,037 | $661 (2,480 SAR) | -36% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $829 | $529 (1,984 SAR) | -36% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,896 | $1,209 (4,534 SAR) | -36% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.93 | $8.38 (31 SAR) | -30% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $49.71 | $34.91 (131 SAR) | -30% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $7.57 | $5.49 (21 SAR) | -27% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.82 | $0.63 (2 SAR) | -23% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.37 | $1.83 (7 SAR) | -23% |
| Eggs, dozen | $2.52 | $1.95 (7 SAR) | -23% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.41 | $5.73 (21 SAR) | -23% |
| White rice, 1kg | $2.97 | $2.29 (9 SAR) | -23% |
| Apples, 1kg | $3.56 | $2.75 (10 SAR) | -23% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $8.90 | $6.88 (26 SAR) | -23% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.48 | $1.15 (4 SAR) | -22% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.98 | $2.79 (10 SAR) | -30% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.89 | $6.06 (23 SAR) | -12% |
| Cappuccino | $3.31 | $2.33 (9 SAR) | -30% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.71 | $1.32 (5 SAR) | -23% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $44.72 | $32.44 (122 SAR) | -27% |
| Public transport, one-way | $1.89 | $1.37 (5 SAR) | -28% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.65 | $1.86 (7 SAR) | -30% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.19 | $0.84 (3 SAR) | -29% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.82 | $0.72 (3 SAR) | -12% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $138 | $99.80 (374 SAR) | -27% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $48.16 | $34.93 (131 SAR) | -27% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $30.96 | $22.46 (84 SAR) | -27% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $33.14 | $23.27 (87 SAR) | -30% |
| Cinema seat | $9.28 | $6.52 (24 SAR) | -30% |
| Men's haircut | $19.88 | $13.96 (52 SAR) | -30% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $47.36 | $41.65 (156 SAR) | -12% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $77.50 | $68.15 (256 SAR) | -12% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $166 | $116 (436 SAR) | -30% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 874 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $2,742 | $2,259 |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $232 | $258 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 3.0 | 3.4 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Dubai and Riyadh. | 79 | 84 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | strong | middling |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 2.2 (low) | 3 (low) |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 34.3 | 45 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 83.1 | 79 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 100% | 100% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 201.6 | 155.4 |
Related
More comparisons
United Arab Emirates compared with
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Saudi Arabia than United Arab Emirates?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,026 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,519 in United Arab Emirates — 32% 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 $2.79 in Saudi Arabia (≈ 10.46 SAR), versus about $3.98 in United Arab Emirates.
- How much is rent in Saudi Arabia compared to United Arab Emirates?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $661/month in Saudi Arabia versus $1,037/month in United Arab Emirates (-36%). 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.