Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Medina

For one person, living costs are similar in Al Khobar and in Medina: $1,405 and $1,339 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Medina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al Khobar and in Medina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,339 in Medina.

Al Khobar $1,405
Medina $1,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Al Khobar versus $1,801 in Medina.

Al Khobar $2,186
Medina $1,801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Al Khobar versus $2,263 in Medina.

Al Khobar $2,967
Medina $2,263

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 5% more expensive than in Medina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 4% above, Medina is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$5.56 SAR 20.86

17.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 SAR 222

$31.40 SAR 118

88.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.50

$7.76 SAR 29.11

1.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$1.59 SAR 5.95

72.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$1.69 SAR 6.36

58.58%

Cappuccino

$4.48 SAR 16.79

$2.69 SAR 10.11

66.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$0.80 SAR 3.00

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$0.25 SAR 0.94

52.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.43 SAR 5.35

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$0.94 SAR 3.53

36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.31 SAR 8.66

6.49%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$2.03 SAR 7.61

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.84

$5.42 SAR 20.35

31.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 SAR 38.43

$7.21 SAR 27.04

42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$12.61 SAR 47.32

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$2.44 SAR 9.15

7.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$2.28 SAR 8.55

-13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.47 SAR 5.53

20.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.38 SAR 5.16

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.29 SAR 4.84

28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$0.86 SAR 3.22

93.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.76 SAR 2.85

-30.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$1.34 SAR 5.04

96.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$1.47 SAR 5.52

8.16%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$1.63 SAR 6.13

12.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 SAR 25.00

$7.31 SAR 27.42

-8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 SAR 2.75

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-32.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

$37.53 SAR 141

79.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.14

$1.35 SAR 5.07

139.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$1.63 SAR 6.11

66.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$5.68 SAR 21.32

14.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.64 SAR 2.41

-1.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

$41.7K SAR 156.4K

58.98%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$20.6K SAR 77.2K

9.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$99.6 SAR 374

$152 SAR 570

-34.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.32 SAR 125

$27.74 SAR 104

20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 265

$89.7 SAR 337

-21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 SAR 308

$80.2 SAR 301

2.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

$8.94 SAR 33.54

316.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$13.39 SAR 50.2

12.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$589 SAR 2,210

$288 SAR 1,080

104.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

$5,525 SAR 20.7K

54.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 SAR 233

$36.85 SAR 138

68.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 312

$53.0 SAR 199

56.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$67.5 SAR 253

43.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 SAR 352

$69.4 SAR 260

35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SAR 2,363

$556 SAR 2,088

13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,873

$514 SAR 1,929

-2.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

$756 SAR 2,836

57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

$579 SAR 2,172

48.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

$2,251 SAR 8,446

6.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

$1,324 SAR 4,967

9.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

$1,209 SAR 4,537

51.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

4.17

41.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$499 35.5%

Medina

$514 38.4% 3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 15.5%

Medina

$190 14.2% 12.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$203 14.5%

Medina

$269 20.1% 32.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.8%

Medina

$102 7.6% 32.5% $49

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$135 9.6%

Medina

$104 7.8% 22.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 8%

Medina

$107 8% 4.6% $5.2

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.2%

Medina

$51 3.8% 41% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Al Khobar and $556 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $31.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $190 per month, with Medina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Medina

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

1,100,093

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Al Khobar Medina 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Medina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Al Khobar vs Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Al Khobar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $630 in Al Khobar versus $556 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medina runs roughly 79% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $589 in Al Khobar versus $288 in Medina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,339 in Medina versus $1,405 in Al Khobar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Medina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar and Medina are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.