Riyadh real estate market — prices, rental yield and trend
- Average price: $1,665 / m²
- 12-month price change (USD): 4.2%
- Transaction cost: 9%
- Bubble-risk band: high
- Price basis: local-market average
Residential property in Riyadh averages $1,665 per square metre, +4.2% in dollar terms over the last twelve months. That makes it the 70th most expensive of the 83 markets in the set.
What a buyer pays in Riyadh
The $1,665 figure is a local-market average across all residential property types: a flat in a prime district sits well above it, an older unit on the edge of the market well below. Buying costs — transfer tax or stamp duty, notary, registration and agency — come to about 9% of the price here. On a 100 m² apartment at the average price that is roughly $14,988 on top of the $166,533 purchase price. That is below the 10.2% median across the set, which shortens the time it takes for a purchase to break even.
What it earns
We publish a price for Riyadh but no rental yield. No public rent figure exists for this market at the same geographic level and from the same source as the price, and we do not estimate one: a yield built from two unrelated sources would describe no real property.
How the tax works. 5%: Saudi Arabia has no personal income tax, and for a non-resident without a permanent establishment rent is subject to a 5% withholding on the gross amount (Income Tax Law art. 68(a)(3)) — not the 20% that applies to management fees. The upper end of 20% covers property held through a local company, or an owner that ZATCA treats as having a permanent establishment. Direct foreign ownership has been permitted since 21 January 2026. Confidence is low: the collection mechanism and the permanent-establishment risk are not settled. The 5% real-estate transaction tax is a sales tax and is not included. Source: ClearTax KSA / KPMG.
How stretched the price looks in Riyadh
Glopra’s bubble-risk score for Riyadh is 93 out of 100 — high risk. That is the highest reading of the 58 markets we score. It combines the deviation from trend, price-to-income and the pace of recent growth — a warning light, not a forecast.
Who can buy in Riyadh
Opening from 2026, designated zones only; Mecca and Medina excluded. That is the rule a foreign buyer meets first, not legal advice — check the current position locally before you commit.
How this figure is built
The price figure for Riyadh is built from recorded transaction prices. It was last refreshed on 2026-09-13. We rate our confidence in this market’s data medium: the series is usable, but thinner or less current than our best-covered markets. We recompute every market the same way, which is what lets Riyadh be compared with a country average or another city.
Sources: GASTAT Q2-26 via Arab News · arabnews.com · globalpropertyguide.com · airbtics.com. Snapshot: 2026-09-13.
Latest Riyadh market analysis
- Saudi Arabia Caps Guest Stays at 29 Days Under Its New Short-Let Licence — 2026-09-13
- Riyadh Reopens Its Land Programme With a SR1,500 per Square Metre Price Ceiling — 2026-08-20
Related markets: Saudi Arabia