Riyadh at a glance
- Riyadh is the most expensive of Saudi Arabia's 8 priced cities: $1,383 a month in essentials, 95% above Abha at $710.
- The average net salary of $2,076 covers that 1.5×.
- 205.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 53.2 µg/m³ a year, 11× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 8 Saudi Arabia cities we track, so every row says whether Riyadh is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,383 | $1,048 | 1.32× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $831 | $513 | 1.62× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,178 | $663 | 1.78× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $133 | $119 | $14 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $216 | $170 | 1.27× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $166 | $167 | $1 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $37 | $38 | $2 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,076 | $1,822 | $254 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,233 | $728 | 1.69× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,183 | $1,266 | 1.72× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Riyadh, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.99 | $6.66 | $1.33 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $63.90 | $45.27 | 1.41× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.65 | $7.99 | $0.66 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.28 | $3.41 | 1.26× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.89 | $0.77 | $0.12 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.31 | $0.26 | $0.05 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.70 | $1.65 | $0.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.29 | $1.04 | $0.25 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.41 | $2.38 | $0.03 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.15 | $2.71 | $0.44 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.64 | $7.20 | 1.34× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.82 | $7.32 | 1.34× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.68 | $2.28 | $0.40 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.90 | $1.79 | $0.10 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.71 | $1.71 | $0.00 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.17 | $1.42 | $0.25 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.39 | $1.36 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.57 | $0.57 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.07 | $1.07 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $37.28 | $37.28 | same |
| Taxi start | $3.20 | $2.79 | $0.41 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.86 | $2.66 | 1.43× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $96.02 | $97.23 | $1.21 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $69.76 | $73.20 | $3.44 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $32.42 | $32.56 | $0.14 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $89.86 | $88.19 | $1.67 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $13.31 | $15.31 | $2.00 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Riyadh has 205.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the 3rd-highest of 10 Saudi Arabia cities we track. Saudi Arabia's national figure is 178.1, so Riyadh runs 28 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Riyadh ranks against every city we track
Riyadh sits ahead of 79% of the 995 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 77% of 974. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 1% of 1074.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Riyadh sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Riyadh on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Riyadh beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Riyadh in the research deskOr unlock the Saudi Arabia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: B.alotaby, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated