Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medina Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,489 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,858 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,227 in Medina.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 49% more expensive than Medina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Medina 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$5.72 SAR 21.46

175.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$31.54 SAR 118

98.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$7.96 SAR 29.88

32.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.48 SAR 9.32

11.69%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.81 SAR 3.04

181.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.38 SAR 1.44

307.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.68 SAR 6.32

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.94 SAR 3.53

88.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.29 SAR 8.61

-22.71%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.14 SAR 8.03

45.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$6.70 SAR 25.15

99.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.08 SAR 26.57

12.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$12.57 SAR 47.16

26.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.33 SAR 8.74

-2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.11 SAR 7.91

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.14 SAR 8.04

-7.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.65 SAR 6.20

48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.37 SAR 5.13

29.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.43 SAR 5.37

37.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.03 SAR 3.85

91.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.81 SAR 3.04

-1.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$7.58 SAR 28.45

-13.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.05 SAR 3.96

122.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$37.14 SAR 139

23.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.36 SAR 5.10

213.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$5.46 SAR 20.50

245.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.64 SAR 2.39

223.44%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

67.01%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

82.52%

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

$151 €130

$207 SAR 775

-26.82%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$32.61 SAR 122

-35.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$105 SAR 393

-62.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$76.8 SAR 288

-36.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$8.75 SAR 32.83

112.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$13.37 SAR 50.2

-32.39%

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

$610 €525

$293 SAR 1,101

107.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$7,548 SAR 28.3K

115.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$37.97 SAR 142

166.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$54.0 SAR 203

-24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$66.1 SAR 248

40.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$97.3 SAR 365

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$433 SAR 1,625

269.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$558 SAR 2,095

121.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$708 SAR 2,658

326.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$405 SAR 1,520

408.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,295 SAR 8,611

247.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,338 SAR 5,019

238.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,323 SAR 4,966

23.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medina: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $433 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 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

Lisbon vs Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Medina differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,489 including rent). Medina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $433 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $293 in Medina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,489 in Medina versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.