Cost of living in Kuwait City, prices and what it is like to live for an Expat, quality of life / hardship, and compare cost of living for Expatriates as at January 2021.

What is it like to live in Kuwait City?

Kuwait City: Kuwait City is the capital and largest city of Kuwait.

Economy: Kuwait city is home to Kuwait's parliament, most governmental offices, and the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks. It is the political, cultural and economic centre of the emirate. Kuwait’s booming economy has allowed many international hotel chains to enter agreements to open hotels in the country.

Inflation: 2.95% for Kuwait as at January 2021.

Kuwait City Population: 2.4 Million (2020 est.)

Expat Life: In Kuwait conservative local Islamic sensibilities should be respected. Expatriate men should not directly address Kuwaiti women in the street. Couples should not display affection in public places. Alcohol is banned. Expatriate dress code is conservative and respectful of Muslim and Arab cultural sensitivities. Suits for expatriate men, while expatriate women are required to dress conservatively covering the arms and legs. The safety risk for expatriates in Kuwait is low. Risks include low levels of petty and violent crime, and unexploded landmines, booby traps and cluster bombs in the desert from the Gulf wars.

Health Care: Health care facilities are of a good standard but can be expensive. The COVID-19 officially reported total deaths for Kuwait as at 4 March 2021 is 1,097, with 11,488 current active cases.

For other areas within the country see Kuwait.

Cost Of Living

What is the cost of living in Kuwait City?

The cost of living for expatriates in Kuwait City as at January 2021 is average in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 71.3 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Kuwait City is as follows:

1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is high for tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$990.

2) Clothing: Cost is very high for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$1390. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$46, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$87, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$88 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$44.

3) Communication: Cost is average for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$190. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$23, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$0.13 per minute.

4) Education: Cost is average for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$24900. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$16,154 for Primary School, and USD$17,977 for High School.

5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is average for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$1950. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$677, and USD$581 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.

6) Groceries: Cost is average for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$730. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$2.55, 1 kg oranges USD$2.16, 1 head lettuce USD$1.98, 1 kg potatos USD$1.05, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$4.81, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$7.42, 1 dozen large eggs USD$2.43, 500g loaf white bread USD$1.42, 1 L full cream milk USD$1.72, and 1.5 L water USD$0.68.

7) Healthcare: Cost is average for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$600. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$48, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,489.

8) Household Accommodation: Cost is average for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$2700. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$2,560 in a central location, and USD$1,752 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.

9) Miscellaneous: Cost is high for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$545. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$10.62, while an international newspaper is USD$3.27.

10) Personal Care: Cost is high for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$360. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$29, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$143.

11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is very high for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$675. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$13.73, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$164 per month.

12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is average for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$620. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$6.47, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$0.70, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$7.85, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$47.09.

13) Transport: Cost is low for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$540. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$0.30, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$18,113.

How does the cost of living in Kuwait City compare?

Kuwait City is -4.9% cheaper than Houston TX for groceries, 39.7% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and -13.4% cheaper for transport costs than Dubai.

What is the quality of life / hardship in Kuwait City?

Kuwait City is ranked as an extreme hardship location.The hardship premium for Kuwait City for an expat from Perth, is for example 30%, i.e. host location (Kuwait City) premium of 40% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

Want to know more about cost of living, hardship (quality of living) or expat salary in Kuwait City? Register subscribe to your home location and Kuwait City and run your personalised reports.