Saudi Arabia Budget Tool
Cost of Living Calculator
Build a realistic monthly budget for Riyadh, Jeddah, the Eastern Province, or smaller Saudi cities. Includes rent, groceries, transport, utilities, dependent levy and school fees.
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Rent and school fees change the result more than anything else. If your employer provides accommodation, transport or school allowance, select those options before checking salary fit.
Monthly Budget Calculator
Select your city, household, housing and lifestyle. Results show a realistic range, not a single magic number.
2026 estimates
City
Household
Number of children
2
Housing
Transport
Food and dining
Include international school feesShown for family profile. Uses a monthly per-child range.
Check against monthly salaryOptional, in SAR.
SAR
Display currency
Rates updated 10 Jun 2026.
Budget estimate
SAR -
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Housing share
Dependents
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Savings check
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Monthly breakdown
Fact-Checked Benchmarks
| Item | Current benchmark | Source basis |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh single, excluding rent | SAR 3,280/mo | Numbeo May 2026 |
| Riyadh family of four, excluding rent | SAR 12,072/mo | Numbeo May 2026 |
| Riyadh 1BR outside centre | SAR 3,188 avg | Numbeo May 2026 |
| Riyadh 3BR outside centre | SAR 4,444 avg | Numbeo May 2026 |
| Public transport monthly pass | SAR 140 | Numbeo / Riyadh transport pricing |
| Petrol 91 / 95 | SAR 2.18 / 2.33 per litre | Saudi Aramco May 2026 |
| Dependent levy | SAR 400/person/month | Saudi expat levy schedule |
The calculator uses ranges around these public benchmarks because neighbourhood, contract timing, school choice and employer benefits make actual expat costs vary widely.
Recommended Salary Guide
| Profile | Workable | Comfortable | Good savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, employer housing | SAR 4,500+ | SAR 6,500+ | SAR 9,000+ |
| Single, own studio/1BR | SAR 7,000+ | SAR 9,500+ | SAR 13,000+ |
| Couple, own apartment | SAR 11,000+ | SAR 15,000+ | SAR 20,000+ |
| Family, 2 children, no school benefit | SAR 20,000+ | SAR 27,000+ | SAR 35,000+ |
| Family, housing and school paid | SAR 9,000+ | SAR 13,000+ | SAR 18,000+ |
FAQ
With employer housing, SAR 4,500-6,500 can be workable. If you pay for your own studio or 1BR, a more realistic range is SAR 7,000-9,500+ depending on area and transport.
Families usually add larger rent, dependent levy, higher groceries, higher utilities and school fees. International school fees can be the largest cost after rent.
No. Saudi Aramco lists May 2026 prices at SAR 2.18/litre for 91 and SAR 2.33/litre for 95. Older calculators showing SAR 0.67 or SAR 0.90 are outdated.
There is no personal income tax on salaries, but expats still need to budget for VAT-included spending, dependent levy, rent, transport, school fees and insurance-related costs not covered by the employer.
Turn school fees on only if your employer does not provide a school allowance. The calculator uses SAR 2,100-5,850 per child per month based on Riyadh international-school benchmarks.
Disclaimer: Estimates are informational ranges based on public cost-of-living data, official fuel prices, known government levies and practical expat budgeting assumptions. Real costs vary by district, lease date, school, transport habits and employer benefits.