Abu Dhabi vs Riyadh - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Abu Dhabi Riyadh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1802
$1586
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4691
$3407
🏠 One person rent
$1140
$921
🏘️ Family rent
$2569
$1393
🍽️ Food expenses
$442
$358
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.3
$176
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3906
$2861
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
52
71
😀 Quality of life
83
77
🏙️ Population
1.48M
7.01M

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi is 14% more expensive than in Riyadh. Cities ranked 2486th and 3292nd ($1802 vs $1586) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Check the United Arab Emirates vs Saudi Arabia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.2 months in Abu Dhabi compared to 1.8 months in Riyadh. Abu Dhabi ranked 3rd best city to live in the United Arab Emirates vs Riyadh ranked 1st in Saudi Arabia, while ranked 405th and 796th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Abu Dhabi vs Riyadh infographic

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Prices in Abu Dhabi vs Riyadh

Prices for goods and services in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Abu Dhabi Riyadh
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.9
$7.92
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$76.3
$52.9
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.62
$7.96
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$10.9
$1.99
☕ Cappuccino
$5.81
$4.33
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.09
$0.77
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1179
$1005
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$880
$726
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2759
$1969
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2207
$1032
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$95.9
$65.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$147
$99.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$104
$74.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.18%
5.34%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4957
$2212
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4315
$1360
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.67
$1.05
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.7
$37.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$7.28
$17.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.8
$0.61
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.75
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.34
$1.24
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.04
$2.2
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.07
$2.49
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.41
$8.03
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.83
$8.34
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.7
$13.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.12
$2.26
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.66
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$1.76
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$1.65
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$1.29
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.42
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.39
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.66
$2.13
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.6
$7.98
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.21
$1.73
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.21
$7.43
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.61
$2.85
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.03
$4.26
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.83
$2.61
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.95
$5.1
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$66.9
$104
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.7
$15.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.5
$49.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.7
$7.27
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.3
$50.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$108
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$667
$373
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12787
$10359

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Abu Dhabi

Distance City Cost of living
117 km or 73 mi Madinat Zayed
$1630
129 km or 80 mi Dubai
$2309
142 km or 88 mi Sharjah
$1503
143 km or 89 mi Al Ain
$1050
152 km or 94 mi Ajman
$2084
170 km or 105 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1768
211 km or 131 mi Fujairah
$1232
237 km or 147 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1603
300 km or 187 mi Doha
$1810
318 km or 198 mi Al Khor
$1719
356 km or 221 mi Bandar Abbas
$728
365 km or 227 mi Nizwa
$786
395 km or 246 mi Seeb
$994
425 km or 264 mi Riffa
$1218
427 km or 265 mi Manama
$1267
428 km or 266 mi Isa Town
$1226
439 km or 273 mi Muscat
$1110
454 km or 282 mi Jahrom
$561
468 km or 291 mi Dhahran
$870
481 km or 299 mi Dammam
$989
486 km or 302 mi Al-Mubarraz
$783
501 km or 311 mi Fasa
$556
514 km or 320 mi Qatif
$878
548 km or 341 mi Jubail
$928
568 km or 353 mi Sirjan
$520
575 km or 357 mi Jiroft
$547
599 km or 372 mi Shiraz
$558
610 km or 379 mi Bushehr
$548
617 km or 384 mi Borazjan
$541
620 km or 385 mi Marvdasht
$546
632 km or 392 mi Kazerun
$537
637 km or 396 mi Chabahar
$687
649 km or 404 mi Bam
$531
678 km or 421 mi Rafsanjan
$515
698 km or 434 mi Kerman
$467
701 km or 435 mi Iranshahr
$639
741 km or 460 mi Yasuj
$489
775 km or 481 mi Riyadh
$1586
790 km or 491 mi Al Wafrah
$1268
792 km or 492 mi Behbahan
$507

Cities near Riyadh

Distance City Cost of living
310 km or 193 mi Al-Mubarraz
$783
316 km or 196 mi Unaizah
$940
350 km or 217 mi Ar Rass
$828
389 km or 242 mi Dhahran
$870
394 km or 245 mi Dammam
$989
395 km or 245 mi Jubail
$928
417 km or 259 mi Qatif
$878
420 km or 261 mi Riffa
$1218
421 km or 262 mi Isa Town
$1226
426 km or 265 mi Manama
$1267
460 km or 286 mi Al Wafrah
$1268
480 km or 298 mi As Sulayyil
$1021
491 km or 305 mi Doha
$1810
496 km or 308 mi Al Khor
$1719
540 km or 336 mi Kuwait City
$1457
595 km or 369 mi Ha'il
$944
611 km or 379 mi Umm Qasr
$716
618 km or 384 mi Al-Faw
$713
631 km or 392 mi Bushehr
$548
646 km or 401 mi Az Zubayr
$705
652 km or 405 mi Abadan
$557
658 km or 409 mi Basra
$879
659 km or 410 mi Khorramshahr
$552
668 km or 415 mi Bisha
$895
680 km or 423 mi Borazjan
$541
701 km or 436 mi Bandar-e Mahshahr
$542
713 km or 443 mi Madinat Zayed
$1630
714 km or 443 mi Nasiriyah
$665
719 km or 447 mi Medina
$853
737 km or 458 mi Kazerun
$537
747 km or 464 mi Behbahan
$507
754 km or 469 mi Samawah
$586
766 km or 476 mi Ahvaz
$588
775 km or 481 mi Abu Dhabi
$1802
790 km or 491 mi Mecca
$940
798 km or 496 mi Shiraz
$558
800 km or 497 mi Amarah
$680
804 km or 499 mi Bareq
$895
804 km or 500 mi Jahrom
$561
823 km or 511 mi Yasuj
$489