Cost of Living in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

RESTAURANTS

If you’re into fast food, local vendors such as Baba Habbas have delicious and cheap hamburgers, fries, and drinks that resemble the food from other parts of the world, but aren’t quite the same.

Apart from the local food, there are many good local and international brands as well which offer great burgers, pizzas, pasta, fish, etc. and in most of these places, you can eat for only 6$.

MARKETS

Cooking your own food will save you a whole lot of money.

Here you can find huge chains of supermarkets where you’ll find whatever you need.

What’s interesting for foreigners are the locally grown high-quality dates that can be a bit expensive.

Everything else is pretty cheap.

There are well-maintained air-conditioned malls and grocery stores scattered all around the city.

TRANSPORTATION

Public transport is poor in Al Khobar.

Taxis and the so-called “dubbabs” dominate the streets, but they are usually used by lower-scale foreign workers.

If you own a car – then you need to spend only on oil and it’s very cheap in Saudi Arabia.

Be prepared that in some cases with taxis you’ll have to haggle the price in advance.

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities are staggeringly cheap in Khobar, like in most cities of Saudi Arabia – but here, they’re cheaper than in most cities of Saudi Arabia.

The utilities there amount to around 177.35$ per month for basic ones like electricity, water, cooling, heating, and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2.

Internet, however, is pretty expensive compared to this and especially compared to many other countries, costing over 60$.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Al Khobar has a coastline, so you can actually go swimming if you’re into outdoor sports.

The beaches are great, so if you want to swim and stay active that way, this is the place to go.

You can usually also find fitness centers in hotels in Khabar, but be prepared to pay a very high price.

They usually have indoor swimming pools, indoor football courts, and pool tables but a month of this pleasure will cost you over 80$.

CLOTHING & SHOES

The Rashid Mall and Mall of Dhahran are Khobar’s two biggest malls and can easily match those found in western countries.

You can go there for a splendid shopping experience and you’ll be able to roam for hours.

The prices are relatively low – quality jeans cost around 67$, while summer dresses and shirts are around 69$.

RENT PER MONTH

Rent is a bit costlier in Khobar than in other cities of Saudi Arabia.

Though your accommodation rent will be lower if you share an apartment – which would cost you around 180$ a month, a one-bedroom apartment is always a better solution.

Depending on your particular location, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center would amount to up to 368.03$, while one a bit further would cost around 315.29$.