Apartments cost roughly SAR 2,700 to 6,200 per m2 depending on the city, prices rose about 1% over the year to Q2 2026, and a foreign buyer should budget extra for transaction costs. Numbers and worked budgets.
Short answer: as of October 2026, apartments in Saudi Arabia cost roughly SAR 2,700 to 6,200 per m2 depending on the city, which is about 630 to 1,460 euro. Riyadh is the most expensive, Jeddah sits in the middle and Dammam is the cheapest of the big three. Prices rose only slightly over the year, and a foreign buyer should add a meaningful percentage for transaction costs. The figures are indicative; sources use different samples.
Price per m2 by city
- Riyadh: apartments averaged about SAR 6,200 per m2 in Q1 2026 (about 1,460 euro), up 3.7% on a year earlier but down 0.4% on the previous quarter (Enterprise). Broader listing averages that mix property types are much lower, around SAR 3,500, which is why headline numbers differ so much.
- Jeddah: roughly SAR 3,600 to 4,400 per m2 depending on the source (about 850 to 1,030 euro). The lower figure is a listing average across property types; the higher one is for apartments.
- Dammam: about SAR 2,700 per m2 on listing averages (about 630 euro); apartment prices rose roughly 4% year on year in Q1 2026.
Euro amounts use about SAR 4.25 per euro, which moves; the riyal is pegged to the dollar at 3.75, not to the euro. Villas, plots and new compounds sit on different price scales from the apartment figures above.
The 2025 to 2026 trend
According to GASTAT figures reported in the press, the national real estate price index rose 1.3% year on year in Q2 2026, the first annual gain since Q3 2025, and 3.0% on the previous quarter. Residential rose 2.6%, with apartments up 1.1%, residential plots up 6.3% and villas down 9.7%. Commercial prices fell 3.2%.
Volumes tell a more cautious story: Riyadh recorded about 8,800 residential sales in Q1 2026, down about 64% year on year, which analysts linked to higher financing costs, affordability and the holiday calendar. Dammam went the other way, with sales up about 25% in number. For a buyer this means a cooling, selective Riyadh and a smaller, faster-growing Eastern Province. Past figures do not predict the next quarter.
What buying costs on top of the price
Budget for these, and agree in writing who pays each item, because several are negotiated:
- Real estate transaction tax (RETT): 5% of the price; the law makes the seller liable, but the split is often negotiated in practice.
- Non-Saudi disposal fee: reported as 2% in the draft with a statutory cap of 5%. Law-firm commentary in mid-2026 still calls the rates not final. Press has quoted a combined burden of up to 10% for foreign buyers.
- Registration: reported as about SAR 1,600, with first registration free.
- Agent: up to about 2.5%.
- Lawyer and translations: negotiated.
Our working assumption for a foreign buyer is 5% to 10% on top of the price, until the final rates are published. The full rules are in our guide for foreign buyers.
Who may buy, and where
Since January 2026 a law on property ownership by non-Saudis has been in force, with regulations approved on 23 June 2026. Foreigners can buy only inside designated zones shown on the REGA map, and Mecca and Medina have additional restrictions. A price list means little until you confirm the district is inside a zone. See the buying guide and apartments for sale.
Financing
Banks have quoted mortgage rates of about 4.1% to 5% for foreign residents, with down payments reported from about 30% and minimum salary requirements. We could not confirm that a non-resident can borrow; plan on paying cash unless a bank confirms in writing. Central bank rules on bank accounts for qualifying non-resident buyers were updated in July 2026, per press.
Three worked budgets (illustrative)
All are 80 m2 apartments at the city averages above, with purchase costs at 5% to 10%. Price only, then the range with costs:
- Dammam: about SAR 214,000 (roughly 50,000 euro); with costs SAR 224,000 to 235,000.
- Jeddah: about SAR 290,000 (roughly 68,000 euro) at the lower average; with costs SAR 305,000 to 319,000.
- Riyadh: about SAR 496,000 (roughly 117,000 euro); with costs SAR 521,000 to 546,000.
Real units differ with district, age, view and developer, so use these only to size a search. How the price turns into income is covered in rental yield in Saudi Arabia; also see total cost of ownership abroad.
FAQ
Is Saudi property getting cheaper or more expensive? As of Q2 2026 the national index rose about 1.3% on the year, with apartments up about 1% and villas down almost 10%. It is selective, not a uniform trend.
Why do sources give different prices per m2 for the same city? Some count apartments only, others all property types, and some use asking prices rather than registered deals. Always ask for recent registered transactions in the specific district.
Can I buy as a non-resident? Under the 2026 law, yes, inside designated zones; the exact district and the buyer category must be checked on the REGA map before paying.
Which city is cheapest to enter? On the figures above, Dammam, but with a smaller and less liquid market than Riyadh.
How we help
We match the budget to a district inside a permitted zone, check the real registered prices, model all one-off costs and coordinate local lawyers. Browse the Saudi Arabia page for what we currently list.
Informational only, not legal, tax or investment advice. Figures are indicative as of October 2026, sources disagree, and rules, fees and exchange rates change.