Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,327 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,327

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medina and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medina and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,327 in Medina versus $1,779 in Athens.

Medina $1,327
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,779 in Medina versus $2,721 in Athens.

Medina $1,779
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,231 in Medina versus $3,663 in Athens.

Medina $2,231
Athens $3,663

Living in Medina costs roughly 25% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 2% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 SAR 20.75

$16.83 €15.06

-67.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 SAR 121

$66.0 €59.1

-51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 SAR 30.78

$11.21 €10.03

-26.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Cappuccino

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$4.08 €3.65

-36.27%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.72

$2.77 €2.48

-73.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.54 €0.48

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.60

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$1.84 €1.65

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$1.43 €1.28

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$2.67 €2.39

-11.24%

Eggs

$2.00 SAR 7.51

$4.95 €4.43

-59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 SAR 20.08

$15.09 €13.51

-64.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 SAR 26.61

$10.99 €9.83

-35.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 47.01

$19.77 €17.69

-36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$2.12 €1.90

10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.49

$1.98 €1.77

1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.43

$1.33 €1.19

69.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$2.16 €1.93

-31.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$1.06 €0.95

29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.15 €1.03

14.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$1.08 €0.97

-14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$0.85 €0.76

-17.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.82

$5.46 €4.88

35.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.35 €1.21

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.54 SAR 137

$30.52 €27.31

19.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$3.81 €3.41

-64.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.03 €0.92

66.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 SAR 21.42

$16.49 €14.75

-65.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$2.34 €2.10

-72.22%

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

$42.0K SAR 157.8K

$27.8K €24.8K

51.42%

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

$20.5K SAR 76.9K

$26.6K €23.8K

-23.04%

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

$147 SAR 552

$202 €181

-27.25%

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

$28.09 SAR 105

$26.81 €23.99

4.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 SAR 329

$30.49 €27.28

187.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 SAR 294

$54.1 €48.38

45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.93 SAR 33.52

$27.40 €24.52

-67.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 SAR 49.16

$10.44 €9.34

25.48%

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

$291 SAR 1,091

$568 €508

-48.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,499 SAR 20.6K

$15.2K €13.6K

-63.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.75 SAR 142

$90.7 €81.1

-58.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 SAR 196

$39.32 €35.19

33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 SAR 247

$105 €94.1

-37.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 SAR 258

$129 €115

-46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 SAR 2,109

$742 €664

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 SAR 1,931

$648 €580

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 SAR 2,825

$1,271 €1,138

-40.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SAR 2,102

$1,122 €1,004

-50.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 SAR 8,574

$3,999 €3,578

-42.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 SAR 4,966

$3,281 €2,936

-59.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,233 SAR 4,627

$1,245 €1,114

-1.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.44

-6.08%

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

Last update for Medina: November 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medina

$515 38.8%

Athens

$648 36.4% 26% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$263 19.8%

Athens

$260 14.6% 1.3% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$190 14.3%

Athens

$316 17.8% 66.9% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$105 7.9%

Athens

$75 4.2% 28.4% $30

Eating Out

Medina

$104 7.8%

Athens

$272 15.3% 161% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$101 7.6%

Athens

$164 9.2% 62.3% $63

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Athens

$45 2.5% 11.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $562 in Medina and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Medina vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $316 per month, with Medina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

1 h behind Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medina Athens 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medina
Athens

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

Medina vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,991 in Medina and $2,669 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $562 in Medina versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medina – a meal for two runs $32 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,327 per month in Medina versus $1,779 in Athens – Medina is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Medina is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.