Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Medina

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,364 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
Learn more

Medina Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Medina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,364 in Medina, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Medina $1,364

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,816 in Medina, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Medina $1,816

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $2,268 in Medina, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Medina $2,268

Berlin costs about 87% more than Medina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Medina sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Medina by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$5.53 SAR 20.75

203.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$32.09 SAR 120

147.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$8.20 SAR 30.78

63.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.70 SAR 10.15

58.15%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$0.76 SAR 2.84

347.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$0.25 SAR 0.95

1148.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.49 SAR 5.61

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$0.92 SAR 3.44

166.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.32 SAR 8.70

42.24%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.09 SAR 7.84

112.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$5.44 SAR 20.44

214.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$7.03 SAR 26.39

73.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$12.49 SAR 46.90

46.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.42 SAR 9.10

47.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.98 SAR 7.42

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$2.29 SAR 8.60

42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$1.55 SAR 5.83

145.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.36 SAR 5.12

56.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.37 SAR 5.14

61.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.93 SAR 3.49

60.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.71 SAR 2.68

42.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$7.54 SAR 28.32

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$1.05 SAR 3.94

316.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$36.80 SAR 138

92.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$1.36 SAR 5.12

288.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.68 SAR 6.32

81.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$5.71 SAR 21.44

535.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.64 SAR 2.41

256.25%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$41.8K SAR 157.0K

-20.49%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$20.7K SAR 77.5K

89.11%

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

$379 €339

$149 SAR 558

155.22%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$27.41 SAR 103

-29.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$90.7 SAR 341

-46.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$78.9 SAR 296

-48.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$9.01 SAR 33.83

294.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$13.51 SAR 50.7

14.95%

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

$144 €128

$294 SAR 1,103

-51.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$5,483 SAR 20.6K

187.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$36.85 SAR 138

156.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$54.4 SAR 204

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$67.0 SAR 252

54.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$70.0 SAR 263

101.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$570 SAR 2,139

161.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$529 SAR 1,988

107.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$779 SAR 2,926

242.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$573 SAR 2,151

263.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$2,309 SAR 8,670

271.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$1,356 SAR 5,091

301.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$1,244 SAR 4,671

180.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.17

-8.87%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Medina

$529 39.2% 51.8% $569

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Medina

$267 19.7% 40.3% $180

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Medina

$191 14.1% 45.6% $160

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Medina

$105 7.8% 63.5% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Medina

$103 7.6% 40.8% $71

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Medina

$51 3.8% 53.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Medina

$106 7.8% 48.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $570 in Medina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 180% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $32.00 in Medina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $191 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇸🇦 Medina

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

1,100,093

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Medina 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,047 in Medina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,364 in Medina. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Medina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Medina, where all-in costs run around $1,364, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Medina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.