# Cost of living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

> Tax-free income and cheap fuel in the fastest-changing city in the Gulf; a car is mandatory and summers hit 44°C.

- **Source:** https://cost-of-life.com/cost-of-living/riyadh
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-08-01
- **Grounded:** 17% of this budget rests on a published source (weighted by spend, not by field count); the rest is modelled
- **Currency:** SAR
- **Region:** Middle East
- **Cost index:** 34 (New York = 100)

## Monthly cost by household

| Household | Housing | Monthly cost (USD) |
| --- | --- | ---: |
| One adult, moderate | 1-bed, city centre | $2,169 |
| Couple, moderate | 1-bed, city centre | $2,959 |
| Family of four with childcare and a car | 3-bed, outside centre | $5,780 |

## Full breakdown for one adult

| Category | Item | Monthly (USD) | Quality | Basis |
| --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| Housing | 1-bed, city centre | $1,100 | estimated | Median advertised rent for this unit type |
| Utilities | Electricity, heating, water, refuse | $117 | estimated | 65% of an 85m² bill |
| Utilities | Home internet | $58 | derived | One 60 Mbps+ connection per household |
| Utilities | Mobile plans | $29 | derived | 1 plan |
| Food | Groceries | $380 | estimated | 1.0 adult-equivalents × 1.00 lifestyle factor |
| Food | Casual meals out | $35 | derived | 6 per adult per month |
| Food | Restaurant dinners | $47 | derived | 1 mid-range dinner for two |
| Food | Coffee | $35 | derived | 12 per adult per month |
| Transport | Public transport passes | $56 | derived | 1 monthly pass |
| Transport | Ride-hailing & taxis | $29 | derived | 6 rides of ~6 km per month |
| Healthcare | Out-of-pocket visits & pharmacy | $35 | estimated | 0.40 consultations/month plus pharmacy |
| Lifestyle | Gym memberships | $70 | estimated | 1 membership |
| Lifestyle | Cinema & outings | $11 | estimated | 1 per person per month |
| Lifestyle | Clothing & personal items | $89 | derived | Amortised monthly at this lifestyle level |
| Other | Household & unbudgeted spending | $79 | estimated | 8% of non-housing spend — repairs, gifts, admin, the things nobody budgets for |
| **Total** | | **$2,169** | | |

## Salary and tax

On a gross salary of $100,000/year in Saudi Arabia:

- Income tax: $0
- Employee social contributions: $0
- Take-home: $100,000/year ($8,333/month)
- Effective rate: 0.0%
- Left after the one-adult budget: $6,165/month

Average local net salary: $2,600/month, which covers 1.2x the one-adult budget.

- No personal income tax. GOSI contributions apply to Saudi nationals only.

## Quality of life (0-100)

| Metric | Score |
| --- | ---: |
| Safety | 80 |
| Healthcare | 74 |
| Air quality | 38 |
| Public transport | 45 |
| Walkability | 30 |
| English proficiency | 66 |
| Family friendliness | 72 |
| Nightlife | 25 |
| Median broadband | 140 Mbps |

## Climate

Average 26°C; summer highs 44°C; winter lows 9°C; 3400 sunshine hours and 110 mm of rain a year. Climate type: arid.

Monthly mean temperature (°C), January first: 14.9, 17.1, 21.8, 26.8, 33, 36.6, 37.7, 37.6, 34.7, 28.8, 22.9, 17.5.
Monthly rainfall (mm): 35, 12, 12, 15, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 7, 7.
Source: Open-Meteo historical archive, 2023-2025.

## Visas and practicalities

- Remote-work visa: no
- Premium Residency or employer sponsorship. No personal income tax.
- Coast: landlocked
- Time zone: Asia/Riyadh
- Metro population: 8.0 million


## Data quality

Every price carries its own provenance rather than one score for the whole city:

- **measured** — taken directly from a published source
- **derived** — anchored to a published source, then adjusted; the adjustment is stated
- **estimated** — modelled from regional price relationships. Nobody measured it.

By share of spend: 0% measured, 17% derived, 83% estimated.

Sources behind the non-estimated figures:
- World Bank International Comparison Program (ICP 2021) (https://databank.worldbank.org/source/icp-2021), as of 2021

## Method and limits

Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Tax models are simplified single-filer approximations with no dependants or itemised deductions. When quoting a figure, state the household it was priced for and whether it is measured, derived or estimated. Full methodology: https://cost-of-life.com/methodology

## Related

- Salary calculator: https://cost-of-life.com/salary/riyadh
- Affordability check: https://cost-of-life.com/can-i-afford/riyadh
- Machine-readable API: https://cost-of-life.com/api/cities