The question
How much does a kilo of rice, sugar, meat and tomatoes cost? And how much did it cost a year ago?
The figure
Every month GASTAT publishes the average price of many goods and services in Saudi Arabia. We chose 20 basic goods from a family kitchen and compared their price in August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH) with their price in August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH), using data GASTAT published on 15 September 2026 (4 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH).
The result: 12 goods rose, 6 fell, and 2 stayed at the same price. The median change across the twenty goods was 1.4%.
Across all goods and services with a price in both months, 168 in total, the price of 116 rose, and the median change was 2.4%.
Which goods rose and which fell?
- Local medium potatoes 22.1%: the kilo from SAR 3.90 to SAR 4.76.
- Local fresh milk (Almarai) 16.7%: the litre from SAR 6 to SAR 7.
- Local round onions 16.7% per kilo, and local tomatoes 10.3% per kilo.
- Meat and fish: fresh lamb 6.1% (SAR 71.21 per kilo), fresh beef 6.9% (SAR 55.69 per kilo), and fresh grouper fish 6.6% (SAR 61.45 per kilo).
- At the other end: Fine sugar (Al-Osra) −6.6%, the bag from SAR 42.84 to SAR 40.03, or about SAR 4 per kilo. Lentils −4.1%, and local eggs −2.7% per tray.
- Indian white basmati rice (Al-Muhaidib) −0.9%: SAR 94.76 a bag, or SAR 9.48 per kilo. Flat white bread stayed at SAR 1.08.
Fresh vegetables rose most, while sugar and lentils fell
Average price in Saudi Arabia in SAR, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH) against August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH). Highest rise first.
| Good | Unit | A year ago | Now | Change | Price per kilo now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local medium potatoes | 1 kg | 3.90 | 4.76 | 22.1% | 4.76 |
| Local fresh milk (Almarai) | 1 L | 6 | 7 | 16.7% | — |
| Local round onions | 1 kg | 3.90 | 4.55 | 16.7% | 4.55 |
| Local tomatoes | 1 kg | 5.62 | 6.20 | 10.3% | 6.20 |
| Dates (rutab) | 1 kg | 14.01 | 15.31 | 9.3% | 15.31 |
| Fresh beef | 1 kg | 52.08 | 55.69 | 6.9% | 55.69 |
| Fresh grouper fish | 1 kg | 57.62 | 61.45 | 6.6% | 61.45 |
| Fresh lamb | 1 kg | 67.12 | 71.21 | 6.1% | 71.21 |
| Local frozen chicken (Al-Wataniya) | 900 g | 18.43 | 19.06 | 3.4% | 21.18 |
| Local fresh chicken (Fakieh) | 900 g | 17.35 | 17.60 | 1.4% | 19.56 |
| Vegetable frying oil (Al-Arabi) | 1.5 L | 19.70 | 19.97 | 1.4% | — |
| Bottled water | 1.5 L | 2.01 | 2.02 | 0.5% | — |
| Flat white bread | 4 loaves | 1.08 | 1.08 | 0.0% | — |
| Yoghurt (Al-Safi) | 170 g | 2 | 2 | 0.0% | 11.76 |
| Indian white basmati rice (Al-Muhaidib) | 10 kg | 95.62 | 94.76 | −0.9% | 9.48 |
| Loose black tea (Rabea) | 1 kg | 40.29 | 39.87 | −1.0% | 39.87 |
| Local eggs | 1 tray | 18.40 | 17.91 | −2.7% | — |
| Local white flour (Grain Silos) | 2 kg | 4.82 | 4.67 | −3.1% | 2.33 |
| Lentils | 1 kg | 9.87 | 9.47 | −4.1% | 9.47 |
| Fine sugar (Al-Osra) | 10 kg | 42.84 | 40.03 | −6.6% | 4 |
What this means for your decision
The average of the basket does not describe your bill; the goods you buy most determine how price changes affect you.
- For households: the table gives a reference price for each good that the price in the shop can be compared with; a difference may come from the shop, the brand or the region.
- For restaurants and grocers: 4 of the twenty goods rose 10% or more, mostly fresh vegetables, while sugar, lentils and flour fell; so input costs changed depending on their type.
- For researchers: these are the prices of specific goods, not the Consumer Price Index, which weights each good by households’ spending on it.
An analytical reading, not financial advice; the decision and its responsibility are yours.
Limits of the figure
- The average for Saudi Arabia, not the price in your city or shop. GASTAT does not publish these prices by city.
- Some goods are a specific brand as GASTAT names them, and their price does not represent all brands.
- The comparison is between a month and the same month a year earlier. Vegetable and fruit prices move with the season, so a one-month change may not last.
- The choice of the twenty goods is ours, and the full list is on the prices page. The price per kilo is our calculation: the published price divided by the weight.
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia, the official source of the original data. DataPulse organised the data and made calculations on it (such as percentage changes and regrouping). This processing and its results are ours; they are not an official statistic issued by GASTAT and do not imply its endorsement. Reuse terms: GASTAT data use policy. We do not use GASTAT’s logo or marks.
The source statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — متوسطات أسعار السلع والخدمات في المملكة (شهري)، وهي المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية. أجرت «نبض البيانات» على البيانات تنظيمًا وحسابًا (مثل: حساب نسب التغيّر وإعادة التجميع). هذه المعالجة والنتائج من إعدادنا وليست إحصاءً رسميًا صادرًا عن الهيئة، ولا تعني تزكية منها.
شروط إعادة الاستخدام: سياسة استخدام بيانات الهيئة. لا نستخدم شعار الهيئة ولا علاماتها.
Full official figures: Prices: average prices of all goods and services · All insights(Arabic)
Translated from the Arabic reading; the Arabic text is the original. The original reading(Arabic)