Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,364 in Medina versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,828 in Medina versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Medina versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Medina costs roughly 45% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medina 0% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 SAR 21.04

$18.74 €16.33

-70.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 SAR 121

$69.5 €60.6

-53.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.41

$13.77 €12.00

-41.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$3.10 €2.70

-15.81%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.81

$2.83 €2.47

-73.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.88 €1.64

-87.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

$1.27 €1.11

14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 SAR 3.50

$2.16 €1.88

-56.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$1.76 €1.53

31.25%

Eggs

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$5.13 €4.47

-60.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 SAR 19.55

$17.88 €15.59

-70.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 SAR 26.77

$9.65 €8.41

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 SAR 47.77

$20.15 €17.56

-36.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$3.25 €2.84

-25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.38

$2.23 €1.94

-11.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.91

$2.60 €2.27

-8.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$2.76 €2.40

-46.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$2.21 €1.93

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$2.12 €1.85

-36.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.47

$1.55 €1.35

-40.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 SAR 2.67

$0.95 €0.83

-25.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.48 SAR 28.08

$7.34 €6.40

1.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$3.11 €2.71

-65.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.52 SAR 141

$25.86 €22.54

45.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$3.27 €2.85

-59.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.48 €1.29

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 SAR 20.76

$34.27 €29.88

-83.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.73 €1.51

-65.32%

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

$41.3K SAR 155.0K

$36.4K €31.7K

13.44%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$30.5K €26.6K

-31.40%

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

$148 SAR 555

$187 €163

-21.03%

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

$28.17 SAR 106

$15.14 €13.20

86.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.8 SAR 337

$37.69 €32.85

138.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 SAR 293

$55.9 €48.76

39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.65 SAR 32.49

$17.08 €14.89

-49.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$11.41 €9.95

15.60%

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

$291 SAR 1,091

$997 €869

-70.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,465 SAR 20.5K

$16.5K €14.4K

-66.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.06 SAR 143

$92.6 €80.8

-58.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 SAR 197

$41.22 €35.93

26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 SAR 253

$111 €96.9

-39.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 SAR 265

$125 €109

-43.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 SAR 2,061

$1,707 €1,488

-67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 SAR 1,944

$1,286 €1,121

-59.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 SAR 2,840

$2,565 €2,236

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 SAR 2,138

$1,942 €1,693

-70.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,322 SAR 8,722

$7,647 €6,666

-69.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,028

$5,167 €4,504

-74.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 SAR 4,644

$2,348 €2,047

-47.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.16

31.96%

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

Last update for Medina: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Medina and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 90% 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: $32.00 in Medina vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $336 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

Medina vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina and Barcelona differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,364 vs $2,476 including rent). Medina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $549 in Medina versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $291 in Medina versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,364 in Medina versus $2,476 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, Medina and Barcelona 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 82% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.