Abu Dhabi vs Riyadh - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Abu Dhabi Riyadh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2133
$1628
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4670
$3587
🏠 One person rent
$1489
$936
🏘️ Family rent
$2612
$1460
🍽️ Food expenses
$432
$376
🚐 Transport expenses
$73.8
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2773
$2284
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
21 km
🎓 Higher education
51
70
😀 Quality of life
85
78
🏙️ Population
1.57M
7.01M

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi is 31% more expensive than in Riyadh. Cities ranked 1650th and 3485th ($2133 vs $1628) 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 1.3 months in Abu Dhabi compared to 1.4 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 424th and 899th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$8.11
$7.94
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$67.9
$53.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.6
$8.02
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$11.9
$1.72
☕ Cappuccino
$5.69
$4.14
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.14
$0.8
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1728
$999
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1197
$757
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3067
$1794
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2202
$1176
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$97
$57.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$149
$87.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$88
$73.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.64%
5.52%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4681
$3071
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8556
$1929
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.68
$1.07
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.6
$37.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$7.63
$17.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.86
$0.64
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.87
$1.6
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.59
$1.33
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.45
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.17
$2.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.8
$9.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.69
$10.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$14.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.4
$2.38
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.95
$1.8
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.96
$2.03
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.53
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.16
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.17
$1.37
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.39
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.48
$2.4
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.5
$8.05
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.37
$1.84
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.55
$7.43
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.49
$2.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.98
$4.27
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.56
$2.37
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.22
$5.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$72.8
$89.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.5
$16.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.9
$51.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$14.3
$8.02
👖 Brand Jeans
$63.1
$58.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$112
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$628
$503
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14421
$10912

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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
$1791
129 km or 80 mi Dubai
$2470
142 km or 88 mi Sharjah
$1543
143 km or 89 mi Al Ain
$1455
152 km or 94 mi Ajman
$2356
170 km or 105 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1170
211 km or 131 mi Fujairah
$1173
237 km or 147 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1355
300 km or 187 mi Doha
$2100
318 km or 198 mi Al Khor
$2015
356 km or 221 mi Bandar Abbas
$620
365 km or 227 mi Nizwa
$797
395 km or 246 mi Seeb
$1082
425 km or 264 mi Riffa
$1062
427 km or 265 mi Manama
$1340
428 km or 266 mi Isa Town
$1218
439 km or 273 mi Muscat
$1193
454 km or 282 mi Jahrom
$494
468 km or 291 mi Dhahran
$965
481 km or 299 mi Dammam
$1059
486 km or 302 mi Al-Mubarraz
$821
501 km or 311 mi Fasa
$497
514 km or 320 mi Qatif
$778
548 km or 341 mi Jubail
$917
568 km or 353 mi Sirjan
$521
575 km or 357 mi Jiroft
$526
599 km or 372 mi Shiraz
$505
610 km or 379 mi Bushehr
$454
617 km or 384 mi Borazjan
$457
620 km or 385 mi Marvdasht
$485
632 km or 392 mi Kazerun
$471
637 km or 396 mi Chabahar
$530
649 km or 404 mi Bam
$514
678 km or 421 mi Rafsanjan
$558
698 km or 434 mi Kerman
$700
701 km or 435 mi Iranshahr
$559
741 km or 460 mi Yasuj
$459
775 km or 481 mi Riyadh
$1628
790 km or 491 mi Al Wafrah
$1247
792 km or 492 mi Behbahan
$469

Cities near Riyadh

Distance City Cost of living
310 km or 193 mi Al-Mubarraz
$821
316 km or 196 mi Unaizah
$938
350 km or 217 mi Ar Rass
$834
389 km or 242 mi Dhahran
$965
394 km or 245 mi Dammam
$1059
395 km or 245 mi Jubail
$917
417 km or 259 mi Qatif
$778
420 km or 261 mi Riffa
$1062
421 km or 262 mi Isa Town
$1218
426 km or 265 mi Manama
$1340
460 km or 286 mi Al Wafrah
$1247
480 km or 298 mi As Sulayyil
$993
491 km or 305 mi Doha
$2100
496 km or 308 mi Al Khor
$2015
540 km or 336 mi Kuwait City
$1437
595 km or 369 mi Ha'il
$738
611 km or 379 mi Umm Qasr
$708
618 km or 384 mi Al-Faw
$703
631 km or 392 mi Bushehr
$454
646 km or 401 mi Az Zubayr
$694
652 km or 405 mi Abadan
$522
658 km or 409 mi Basra
$861
659 km or 410 mi Khorramshahr
$509
668 km or 415 mi Bisha
$890
680 km or 423 mi Borazjan
$457
701 km or 436 mi Bandar-e Mahshahr
$493
713 km or 443 mi Madinat Zayed
$1791
714 km or 443 mi Nasiriyah
$655
719 km or 447 mi Medina
$1164
737 km or 458 mi Kazerun
$471
747 km or 464 mi Behbahan
$469
754 km or 469 mi Samawah
$573
766 km or 476 mi Ahvaz
$548
775 km or 481 mi Abu Dhabi
$2133
790 km or 491 mi Mecca
$1031
798 km or 496 mi Shiraz
$505
800 km or 497 mi Amarah
$670
804 km or 499 mi Bareq
$873
804 km or 500 mi Jahrom
$494
823 km or 511 mi Yasuj
$459