Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Medina Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Medina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,468 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,836 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,204 in Medina.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 59% more expensive than Medina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Medina 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.70 SAR 21.39

208.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$31.98 SAR 120

114.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.78 SAR 29.16

76.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.44 SAR 9.14

13.11%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.82 SAR 3.06

239.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.39 SAR 1.46

425.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.63 SAR 6.12

-21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.98 SAR 3.66

115.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.40 SAR 9.00

-17.92%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.11 SAR 7.93

63.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.49 SAR 24.36

190.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.90 SAR 25.88

36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.77 SAR 47.89

48.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.35 SAR 8.80

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.08 SAR 7.81

13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.17 SAR 8.15

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.70 SAR 6.38

62.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.38 SAR 5.18

42.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.51 SAR 5.65

18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.02 SAR 3.83

48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.83 SAR 3.10

8.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.44 SAR 27.89

-9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.09 SAR 4.07

177.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$37.59 SAR 141

-24.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.35 SAR 5.05

228.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.64 SAR 6.14

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.63 SAR 21.12

420.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.65 SAR 2.44

190.77%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

81.18%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

54.12%

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

$189 €161

$201 SAR 754

-6.24%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$33.28 SAR 125

-33.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$103 SAR 386

-64.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$77.5 SAR 290

-25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$8.66 SAR 32.47

142.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.29 SAR 49.83

-16.85%

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

$726 €622

$291 SAR 1,092

149.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,315 SAR 27.4K

108.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$37.64 SAR 141

134.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$52.7 SAR 198

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$66.1 SAR 248

55.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$97.1 SAR 364

22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$421 SAR 1,578

262.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$554 SAR 2,076

120.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$723 SAR 2,712

286.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$417 SAR 1,563

386.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,312 SAR 8,669

206.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,328 SAR 4,981

265.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,349 SAR 5,058

78.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medina: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $421 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 78% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $199 per month, with Medina cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Medina differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,468 including rent). Medina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 78% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $421 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $291 in Medina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,468 in Medina versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Barcelona 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 59% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.