Hi and welcome! In this video we're going to explore how expensive is Riyadh. Check it out.
Is Riyadh an expensive city?
The answer is unfortunately "yes".
Riyadh is unfortunately not a cheap place to live in or travel to.
It mainly caters to the business community and wealthy business people and travelers.
The infrastructure for budget travelers is not yet developed
and that is particularly visible when we talk about accommodation.
But let's check out the various aspects of life in Riyadh:
Accommodation, transport, food etc. The biggest cost factor will be accommodation.
The infrastructure that exists so far is largely expensive hotels.
You'll find occasionally a cheaper hotel but that's usually also in less interesting neighborhoods.
How expensive is Riyadh? The bad news is that it's not a cheap city.
It's actually quite an expensive city to stay at.
it's especially difficult to find affordable accommodation
as most of the hotels and apartment buildings cater to business travelers
and more wealthy audiences.
You have to calculate with at least $80 per night on the lower end of the spectrum.
And of course prices can go up to 200, 400 and even thousand dollars per night for some of the high-end hotels.
There are some opportunities to couch surfing but the whole infrastructure for budget travelers is not really developed yet.
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What do you have to expect in terms of transport?
transport is remarkably cheap. Getting around in Riyadh is actually quite easy.
The best way to do that is to take taxis or get an Uber.
I never had to wait for more than five or ten minutes to get a ride.
The fares are quite affordable: For an inner city ride you usually pay an average of about 15 to 20 Saudi Riyals.
That is roughly around five dollars.
The government is in the process of building a massive metro system.
and they're building that all at once for the entire city right now.
That causes quite some disruptions in the traffic
but I'm sure once is ready it's going to set new standards and public transport here in the Kingdom.
There's currently quite a bit of construction going on here in Riyadh. They're building an entirely new metro system.
Expect a bit of delays and traffic throughout the city. I think it's gonna be cool once it's done but right now it's not pretty.
Another option you have is to rent a car and I actually found that quite affordable as well.
I did rent a car for one day that cost me, including insurance, 45 dollars.
That did include 250 kilometers.
If you plan to visit places outside of the city that can become a very interesting option
because it allows you to visit places at your own pace.
What are your daily expenses for food?
If you plan to stay in an apartment and you want to cook for yourself
there are lots of international and local supermarkets where you find all the food items that you want.
Many of the products are imported so don't be surprised to find lots of food items that you know from back home.
Let's go to a supermarket and check out the prices.
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If you travel here you likely go to restaurants.
Let's check out some tips on that
You'll find an abundance of restaurant options here in the city
with lots of international options that cater to pretty much any taste.
Prices very. You'll also find some fast food options. My favorite one is of course shawarma
but you'll also find all the international fast food chains that we know from the US or Europe.
Prices can vary quite a bit.
You'll find some high-end restaurants where a menu will quickly run up to 50-100 dollars
but on average, if you spend 10-15 dollars you'll find a good meal.
There's quite a few souvenir shopping options in Riyadh and I'm actually covering those in a separate video
Please check that out (link in the tab)
You definitely should go to one of the local markets and souqs
where you'll find lots of traditional souvenirs and fun things to bring back home.
I hope this video gave you a bit of an idea of what to expect in terms of cost here in Riyadh.
If you liked the video, please push the like button below and leave me a comment:
What are your experiences with living and traveling here in Riyadh?
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Until the next time, Salama and good bye.