Living Costs Riyadh vs Doha in 2024

Question

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but assuming you have a very similar lifestyle and the same salary, in which city would you be able to save more money: Doha or Riyadh?

When I search online, I read everywhere that Riyadh is much cheaper, but when I talk to people in the region, they say otherwise. In fact, they say Riyadh is crazy expensive nowadays.

So, I’m wondering…Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

First of all, Riyadh seems to have slightly lower costs of living compared to Doha, especially in terms of housing and utilities.
Moreover, while it is great to see your eagerness to save money, I would advise you not to forget that you also want to live in one city or another for reasons other than the lower costs of living.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there!

Quite honestly, Riyadh, Doha and Dubai are all fairly comparable. Housing costs in Riyadh can be somewhat lower than in the other two cities, but it really depends on where you live. All three cities have expensive neighborhoods and relatively less expensive neighborhoods — the range is quite significantly wide (some neighborhoods can cost as much as parts of Manhattan).

But overall, I doubt that it's going to make all that much of a difference financially. You might want to consider other factors such as convenience or personal preferences etc!

Answer 3

Hi there,

This is the best site to break down living costs: Cost of Living (numbeo.com)

You can also compare several options and it breaks costs down on a super granular level.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 4

Hi, the list below is not 100% accurate but im pretty sure its +-10% within range as they are directly from friends w... (read entire answer)

Hi, the list below is not 100% accurate but im pretty sure its +-10% within range as they are directly from friends working at firms in the Middle East. Salaries for Abu Dhabi/D... (read entire answer)

Answer 5

Glassdoor is a good datapoint for that type of salary questions. Not 100% reliable, but directionally right (as long... (read entire answer)

Glassdoor is a good datapoint for that type of salary questions. Not 100% reliable, but directionally right (as long as they have a relevant number of datapoints).