How much does it cost to travel to Riyadh? (2026)
Budget, mid-range and luxury daily estimates for Riyadh, in USD and SAR.
Daily and weekly costs
| Tier | Per day (USD) | Per day (SAR) | 7 days (USD) | 7 days (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BudgetHostel bed, cheap meals, public transport | $50 | SAR 190 | $350 | SAR 1,300 |
| Mid-rangeThree-star hotel, restaurants, some taxis | $115 | SAR 430 | $805 | SAR 3,000 |
| LuxuryFour- or five-star hotel, dining out | $240 | SAR 900 | $1,680 | SAR 6,300 |
Every amount in this table is an estimateestimate, derived from the World Bank price level for Saudi Arabia rather than quoted by any seller.
How this is calculated
A US baseline of 90, 210 and 450 USD a day for the three tiers is multiplied by the price level of Saudi Arabia (0.468080625205712, World Bank 2025) and by a city-size factor of 1.15, then rounded to the nearest 5 dollars. Local amounts use the World Bank exchange rate of 3.75 SAR to the dollar, rounded to two significant digits.
These are modeled estimates, not quoted prices. Read the full formula on the methodology page.
Sample prices in Riyadh
Typical prices, every one an estimateestimate rather than a quoted price.
Budget hotel room (per night)
Estimate for a simple private room in a budget hotel.
$35
Cheap meal at a casual eatery
Estimate for a simple local meal such as a shawarma plate or rice with meat.
$8
Mid-range restaurant meal
Estimate for a sit-down meal with a drink at a casual restaurant.
$20
Local transport (single ride)
Estimate for a short taxi or ride-hailing trip within the city.
$3
Coffee
Estimate for a coffee at a café.
$4
Museum or attraction entry
Estimate for admission to a paid tourist site or museum.
$15
Prepaid SIM card
Estimate for a tourist SIM card with a basic data package.
$10
Where the money goes
The three daily tiers, budget $50, mid-range $115, and luxury $240, mainly reflect differences in lodging quality and dining choices. Budget travelers rely on simple meals and public or shared transport, while mid-range and luxury travelers add private transport, restaurant dining, and paid attractions, which is why the gap widens once the figures are scaled up to $350, $805, and $1,680 over a full week.
The lowest prices tend to appear during June, July, and August, the off-season, when extreme heat reduces demand for hotel rooms and tours, making it easier to find better rates within any of the three tiers. All figures listed here are estimates and can shift with seasonal promotions, currency movements, and individual spending habits.
Cheapest months by climate demand: Jun, Jul and Aug.
Keep reading
More on Riyadh
Sources
- GeoNames city database — CC BY 4.0, fetched September 14, 2026
- World Bank price level and exchange rate — CC BY 4.0, data year 2025
AI-written interpretation reviewed against the data above — claude-sonnet-5, generated September 21, 2026. Every number on this page comes from a dataset named here; the formulas are public.