Dubai vs Riyadh - Cost of Living Comparison

Dubai Riyadh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1924
$1278
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4530
$2887
🏠 One person rent
$1170
$660
🏘️ Family rent
$2204
$1026
🍽️ Food expenses
$437
$336
🚐 Transport expenses
$183
$153
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4381
$2178
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
6 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
61
68
😀 Quality of life
90
75
🏙️ Population
3.33M
8M

The cost of living in Dubai is 51% more expensive than in Riyadh. Cities ranked 1903rd and 3955th ($1924 vs $1278) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 2.3 months in Dubai compared to 1.7 months in Riyadh. Dubai ranked 1st best city to live in the United Arab Emirates vs Riyadh ranked 1st in Saudi Arabia, while ranked 130th and 917th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Dubai vs Riyadh

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

Dubai Riyadh
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.4
$6.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$65.8
$53.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.19
$6.67
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$12.7
$1.6
☕ Cappuccino
$5.46
$3.87
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.13
$0.8
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1453
$772
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$829
$469
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2679
$1122
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1737
$803
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$119
$55.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$181
$84.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$97.6
$74.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.93%
3.96%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3907
$1718
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2398
$1152
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.5
$1.07
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$85.9
$31.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.86
$14.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.99
$0.61
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.88
$1.78
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.29
$0.83
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.56
$2.22
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.74
$2.75
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.1
$7.29
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.22
$7.67
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.6
$12.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.17
$2.07
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$1.73
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.82
$1.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.56
$2.02
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.11
$1.26
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.99
$1.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.4
$0.38
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.32
$2.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.2
$5.89
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.53
$2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.58
$7.47
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.07
$3.41
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.34
$4.37
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.28
$2
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.28
$4.7
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$72.1
$99.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.2
$17.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$74.3
$38
💇 Haircut, simple
$9.63
$8.76
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.7
$49.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$91.8
$109
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$756
$400
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$11590
$6836

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Dubai

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8 mi Sharjah
$1343
22 km or 14 mi Ajman
$1129
41 km or 25 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1020
104 km or 65 mi Fujairah
$1096
108 km or 67 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1362
126 km or 78 mi Al Ain
$1449
129 km or 80 mi Abu Dhabi
$1967
234 km or 146 mi Bandar Abbas
$707
246 km or 153 mi Madinat Zayed
$1261
339 km or 211 mi Seeb
$1260
344 km or 214 mi Nizwa
$799
380 km or 236 mi Doha
$1964
380 km or 236 mi Muscat
$1150
385 km or 239 mi Al Khor
$1797
399 km or 248 mi Jahrom
$688
440 km or 273 mi Fasa
$968
449 km or 279 mi Jiroft
$689
466 km or 290 mi Sirjan
$693
485 km or 301 mi Manama
$1277
486 km or 302 mi Riffa
$1245
487 km or 303 mi Isa Town
$1277
523 km or 325 mi Bam
$688
528 km or 328 mi Dhahran
$952
534 km or 332 mi Chabahar
$687
537 km or 334 mi Dammam
$987
554 km or 345 mi Shiraz
$947
560 km or 348 mi Qatif
$880
568 km or 353 mi Al-Mubarraz
$705
568 km or 353 mi Marvdasht
$690
574 km or 357 mi Rafsanjan
$691
578 km or 359 mi Iranshahr
$687
584 km or 363 mi Kerman
$657
595 km or 370 mi Jubail
$907
601 km or 373 mi Borazjan
$686
603 km or 375 mi Kazerun
$687
604 km or 375 mi Bushehr
$785
703 km or 437 mi Yasuj
$650
721 km or 448 mi Zahedan
$863
743 km or 461 mi Yazd
$837
773 km or 481 mi Behbahan
$686

Cities near Riyadh

Distance City Cost of living
310 km or 193 mi Al-Mubarraz
$705
316 km or 196 mi Unaizah
$858
350 km or 217 mi Ar Rass
$750
389 km or 242 mi Dhahran
$952
394 km or 245 mi Dammam
$987
395 km or 245 mi Jubail
$907
417 km or 259 mi Qatif
$880
420 km or 261 mi Riffa
$1245
421 km or 262 mi Isa Town
$1277
426 km or 265 mi Manama
$1277
460 km or 286 mi Al Wafrah
$960
480 km or 298 mi As Sulayyil
$843
491 km or 305 mi Doha
$1964
496 km or 308 mi Al Khor
$1797
540 km or 336 mi Kuwait City
$1384
595 km or 369 mi Ha'il
$880
611 km or 379 mi Umm Qasr
$555
618 km or 384 mi Al-Faw
$543
631 km or 392 mi Bushehr
$785
646 km or 401 mi Az Zubayr
$553
652 km or 405 mi Abadan
$634
658 km or 409 mi Basra
$815
659 km or 410 mi Khorramshahr
$687
668 km or 415 mi Bisha
$829
680 km or 423 mi Borazjan
$686
701 km or 436 mi Bandar-e Mahshahr
$688
713 km or 443 mi Madinat Zayed
$1261
714 km or 443 mi Nasiriyah
$633
719 km or 447 mi Medina
$1028
737 km or 458 mi Kazerun
$687
747 km or 464 mi Behbahan
$686
754 km or 469 mi Samawah
$606
766 km or 476 mi Ahvaz
$542
775 km or 481 mi Abu Dhabi
$1967
790 km or 491 mi Mecca
$992
798 km or 496 mi Shiraz
$947
800 km or 497 mi Amarah
$632
804 km or 499 mi Bareq
$833
804 km or 500 mi Jahrom
$688
823 km or 511 mi Yasuj
$650