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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,469 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,858 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,248 in Medina.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 61% more expensive than in Medina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Medina 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$5.58 SAR 20.95

207.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$32.14 SAR 121

111.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$8.22 SAR 30.86

65.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.48 SAR 9.32

12.10%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.77 SAR 2.88

266.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.39 SAR 1.45

402.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.61 SAR 6.04

-21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.93 SAR 3.49

129.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.39 SAR 8.99

-16.74%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.07 SAR 7.77

62.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$6.75 SAR 25.33

180.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$6.99 SAR 26.23

36.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$12.76 SAR 47.92

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$2.47 SAR 9.28

7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.16 SAR 8.13

8.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.15 SAR 8.07

-2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.69 SAR 6.33

61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.43 SAR 5.37

37.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.44 SAR 5.40

25.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.03 SAR 3.86

46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.87 SAR 3.26

2.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$7.44 SAR 27.94

-8.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.10 SAR 4.12

164.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$37.40 SAR 140

-23.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$1.37 SAR 5.14

234.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.69 SAR 6.36

20.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$5.46 SAR 20.50

426.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.60 SAR 2.27

203.33%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$20.9K SAR 78.5K

88.08%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$21.6K SAR 81.2K

50.13%

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

$187 €162

$201 SAR 755

-7.17%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$32.18 SAR 121

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$103 SAR 386

-64.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$75.0 SAR 282

-23.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$8.99 SAR 33.77

130.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-19.33%

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

$725 €629

$291 SAR 1,092

149.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,343 SAR 27.6K

106.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$36.82 SAR 138

138.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$52.8 SAR 198

-30.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$67.6 SAR 254

52.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$97.4 SAR 366

21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$424 SAR 1,591

259.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$569 SAR 2,138

115.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$710 SAR 2,668

283.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$419 SAR 1,575

373.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$2,306 SAR 8,661

223.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$1,364 SAR 5,123

284.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$1,338 SAR 5,023

78.86%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medina: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $424 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $201 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 61% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,469 including rent). Medina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $424 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,469 in Medina versus $2,359 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 61% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.