Buy or rentZATCA · SAMA · REDF · REGA

Should you buy or keep renting?

Your monthly payment, the cash you need on day one and whether buying beats renting over your horizon — with Saudi taxes, the first-home exemption and Sakani support built in.

Prices and rents are pre-filled from registered deals and Ejar leases for the area you pick. Change anything.

Reviewed by hand 27 Sept 2026Every source link and quoted figure re-checked weekly

The home

City or district

Apartments here averaged SAR 5,862 per m² in the latest quarter. Registered rents averaged SAR 275 per m² a year.

Sizem²PriceSARRent for a similar homeSAR / month

Pre-filled from average Ejar rents; use a real listing if you have one.

You

Buyer

SAMA allows banks to finance up to 90% of a citizen's first home. The state pays the 5% transaction tax on up to SAR 1M of the price.

Household incomeSAR / monthSakani support

REDF covers 35–100% of the profit on up to SAR 500,000 of finance. Your share depends on income and family — confirm it on the Sakani platform.

The finance

Down payment%

Minimum depends on your bank and buyer type.

Profit rate (APR)%

Starting value only. 3-month SAIBOR averaged 4.84% in February 2026 (SAMA); banks add their own margin. Enter your bank's quote. Default 5.50%.

TermyearsInclude 2.5% brokerage

Assumptions

Compare overyearsHome price growth% / yearRent growth% / year

Riyadh rents on already-leased homes are frozen until September 2030.

Return on savings% / yearUpkeep% / year

Monthly payment

SAR 4,858

on SAR 791,100 over 25 years

Share of income24%

Banks cap repayments as a share of salary under SAMA's responsible-lending rules; the limit depends on your income and bank.

Cash needed to buy

Down payment: SAR 87,900
Transaction tax (5%)first SAR 1M exempt: SAR 0
Brokerage (2.5%): SAR 21,975
Total: SAR 109,875

Over 10 years

Renting and investing the difference leaves you about SAR 60,798 better off.

Buying doesn't pull ahead within 10 years.

Buy: 450,149Rent: 510,947

Net worth under each choice: the home's value less the loan balance and selling costs, versus the cash a renter keeps invested. Whoever spends less each month invests the difference.