This month, Deutsche Bank released its 2019 report titled Mapping the World's Prices, which positioned cities in comparison with one another on several fronts.
How do the prices in the Saudi capital of Riyadh rank in comparison with other cities in the world? We're talking prices of necessary items such as rent and internet as well as luxury commodities such as a cup of cappuccino or a pair of Levi's jeans.
How expensive is Riyadh when juxtaposed with other cities from around the world?
On home rentals
When it comes to monthly rentals of a mid-range two-bedroom apartment, Riyadh ranked as the 36th out of 55 cities in terms of cost.
- Lisbon, Portugal ($1,021)
- Brussels, Belgium ($1,015)
- Moscow, Russia ($1,000)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($928)
- Prague, Czech Republic ($922)
The cheapest city for rentals with such specs is Cairo, in which costs average $285/month for a two-bedroom apartment.
On car rentals
When it comes to car rentals, Riyadh actually ranked among the five cheapest cities in the world, coming in at 36 out of 40.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($62.7)
- Buenos Aires, Argentina ($59.4)
- Toronto, Canada ($50.7)
- Lisbon, Portugal ($38.5)
- Johannesburg, South Africa ($33)
The most expensive city in the world for such rentals is the United Kingdom, where car rentals average $172/day.
On 5-star hotels
When it comes to five-star hotels with a view, Riyadh ranks 18th most expensive out of 54 cities, surpassing New York City.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($442)
- Dublin, Ireland ($440)
- Mexico City, Mexico ($439)
- Chicago, United States ($417)
- New York City, United States ($415)
The cheapest city in the world for five-star hotels is Kuala Lumpur, in which a night at a five-star hotel costs $164.
On sports shoes
When it comes to a pair of sports shoes (Nike, Adidas), Riyadh is among the world's most expensive, ranking 15 out of 55.
- Melbourne, Australia ($103)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($102)
- Athens, Greece ($102)
- London, United Kingdom ($101.9)
- Frankfurt, Germany ($101.3)
The cheapest city to buy a branded pair of sports shoes is Bangalore, India where a pair of shoes costs $58.
On Levi's jeans
When it comes to a pair of Levi's jeans, Riyadh is relatively cheap - ranking 36 out of 55 - when compared to the Swiss city of Zurich - where a pair of Levi's jeans costs $119.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($61.1)
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ($60.7)
- Tokyo, Japan ($57.7)
- New York City, United States ($56)
- Cairo, Egypt ($55.8)
The cheapest city for a pair of these branded jeans is Lagos, Nigeria where it costs $24.
On liters of gas
When it comes to gas, Riyadh is (unsurprisingly) one of the cheapest cities in the world, ranking 54 out of 55.
- Dubai, UAE ($0.63)
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ($0.53)
- Lagos, Nigeria ($0.40)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($0.40)
- Cairo, Egypt ($0.39)
The most expensive city to obtain gas in is Hong Kong, where a liter costs $2.04.
On cinema tickets
When it comes to the cinema industry - which was only made available to Saudi residents recently - tickets in the city of Riyadh are the 9th most expensive.
- Tokyo, Japan ($15.3)
- Helsinki, Finland ($15)
- San Francisco, United States ($15)
- Oslo, Norway ($14.8)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($14.8)
The cheapest city for cinema-goers is Istanbul, Turkey where ticket prices cost $3.6.
On gym memberships
When it comes to getting fit, Riyadh is quite expensive, ranking 5th most expensive city in the survey in terms of gym memberships in the business district.
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong ($125.4)
- Singapore, Singapore ($121)
- Dubai, UAE ($110)
- San Francisco ($109)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($105.3)
The cheapest city for gym memberships - located in the business district - is Dhaka, Bangladesh where joining a sports center costs $24.6.
Read the full report here.