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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,469 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,858 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,248 in Medina.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 55% more expensive than in Medina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Medina 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$5.58 SAR 20.95

182.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$32.14 SAR 121

97.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.22 SAR 30.86

27.13%

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

$2.91 €2.52

$2.48 SAR 9.32

17.34%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.77 SAR 2.88

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.39 SAR 1.45

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.61 SAR 6.04

-32.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.93 SAR 3.49

89.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.39 SAR 8.99

-28.87%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.07 SAR 7.77

57.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.75 SAR 25.33

96.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.99 SAR 26.23

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.76 SAR 47.92

23.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.47 SAR 9.28

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.16 SAR 8.13

-23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.15 SAR 8.07

-6.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.69 SAR 6.33

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.43 SAR 5.37

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.44 SAR 5.40

43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.03 SAR 3.86

91.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.87 SAR 3.26

-4.60%

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)

$6.55 €5.68

$7.44 SAR 27.94

-11.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.10 SAR 4.12

106.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$37.40 SAR 140

23.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.37 SAR 5.14

208.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.69 SAR 6.36

-49.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$5.46 SAR 20.50

244.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.60 SAR 2.27

236.67%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$20.9K SAR 78.5K

67.24%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$21.6K SAR 81.2K

83.26%

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

$148 €128

$201 SAR 755

-26.42%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$32.18 SAR 121

-36.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$103 SAR 386

-61.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$75.0 SAR 282

-35.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$8.99 SAR 33.77

104.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-31.84%

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

$615 €532

$291 SAR 1,092

111.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,343 SAR 27.6K

121.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$36.82 SAR 138

175.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$52.8 SAR 198

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$67.6 SAR 254

36.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$97.4 SAR 366

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$424 SAR 1,591

280.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$569 SAR 2,138

120.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$710 SAR 2,668

332.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$419 SAR 1,575

385.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,306 SAR 8,661

236.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,364 SAR 5,123

214.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,338 SAR 5,023

19.74%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medina: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $424 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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

Lisbon vs Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Medina differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,280 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 20% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $424 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon 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 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,469 in Medina versus $2,280 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 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.