Price per m2 in Riyadh, 2026
Figures are SAR per square metre of built-up area, excluding 15% VAT, with the contractor supplying materials and labour. They are estimate ranges from our 2026 offers; the final price comes from a BOQ of your own drawings.
| Stage | SAR per m2 | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Structure (shell) | 1,000 to 1,300 | excavation and backfill, reinforced concrete, blockwork, foundation waterproofing |
| Mid-range finishing with MEP | 1,600 to 2,200 | plaster, paint, flooring, doors, windows, electrical, plumbing and AC |
| Premium finishing | 2,400 to 3,200 | marble, layered gypsum ceilings, central AC, stone facades |
| Turnkey, mid-range | 2,700 to 3,500 | structure and finishing together |
| Turnkey, premium | 3,600 to 4,500 | structure and premium finishing |
For reference: two 2026 offers came in at 2,700 to 3,600 SAR per m2 turnkey for Najdi style villas in Diriyah, and about 4,250 SAR per m2 for tunnel form villas with every trade included.
Work out your own villa with our villa cost calculator.
Worked example: a 700 m2 villa in Riyadh
A 400 m2 plot allows a ground floor up to 75% of the plot, a first floor up to 75% and a roof annex up to 70% of the floor below (SPA). A common layout: ground 280, first 280, annex 140, total 700 m2.
| Item | Calculation | SAR |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 700 × 1,150 | 805,000 |
| Finishing and MEP (mid-range) | 700 × 2,100 | 1,470,000 |
| Boundary walls, landscaping and tanks | estimate | 100,000 |
| Total excluding VAT | 2,375,000 | |
| VAT 15% | 356,250 | |
| Total including VAT | 2,731,250 |
That is about 3,393 SAR per m2 before VAT. It excludes the land, design and supervision (see villa design cost), fees and utility connections, furniture and kitchen.
Where does the finishing budget go?
From a real 2026 BOQ for finishing residential villas including MEP:
| Division | Share of finishing value |
|---|---|
| Finishes: plaster, paint, flooring, ceilings, cladding | 39% |
| MEP: plumbing, electrical, ventilation, low current, fire alarm | 30% |
| Doors and windows | 20% |
| Waterproofing and insulation | 7% |
| Metalwork, accessories and provisional items | 4% |
So the biggest price swings come from flooring, doors, windows and the AC system, not from paint.
What moves the price
- Basement: adds excavation, retaining walls and full waterproofing, and costs clearly more per m2 than the floors above.
- Soil: the soil report sets the foundation type. A raft or soil replacement adds cost the headline rate does not show.
- Facades: natural stone or GRC costs far more than plaster and paint, and the Saudi Architecture guidelines may set materials for your plot.
- AC: central or ducted systems cost more than split units in supply, ductwork and ceilings.
- Market prices: the construction cost index rose 2.3% in July 2026 year on year, 2.2% for residential buildings, with equipment rental up 4.2% and labour up 1.4% (Okaz, citing GASTAT).
Track rebar, concrete and block prices every month in building material prices in Saudi Arabia.
Five ways to control the cost
- Get a BOQ from the drawings before you sign and compare offers line by line, not by the total. Read quantity take-off step by step.
- Ask three contractors to price the same BOQ, and learn how an item price is built up to see where the margin sits.
- Choose the contract type with care: lump sum or remeasured.
- Tie payments to completed stages: foundations, frame, blockwork, finishing, handover.
- Fix the specification before pricing: tile type, marble supply rate per m2, doors and AC. These drive most variation orders.
How we help
We prepare the quantity take-off and a priced BOQ from your villa drawings with current material and labour rates, and compare contractor offers line by line. Quotation within one working day through our quantity take-off and pricing service.
Sources
- Okaz: construction cost index July 2026, 24 August 2026 (Arabic)
- SPA: residential building requirements, July 2024 (Arabic)
- Residential villa offers prepared by the Arab Creators team in October and November 2026 (internal data, client names withheld).
Related terms: bill of quantities, and the engineering glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What does a shell structure cost per m2 in Riyadh in 2026?
About 1,000 to 1,300 SAR per m2 with materials and labour, excluding VAT, depending on the foundation, basement and structural design.
What does a 700 m2 turnkey villa cost?
At mid-range specification about 2.4 million SAR before VAT, or about 2.73 million with VAT, excluding land, design and furniture.
What is the largest item in the finishing cost?
The finishes themselves at about 39%, then MEP at about 30%, then doors and windows at about 20%, based on a real 2026 villa BOQ.
Did construction costs rise in Saudi Arabia in 2026?
Moderately: 2.3% in July 2026 year on year and 2.2% for residential buildings, according to GASTAT.
