Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,364 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,364

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medina and in Dubai

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 Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,364 in Medina versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Medina $1,364
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,816 in Medina versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Medina $1,816
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,268 in Medina versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Medina $2,268
Dubai $5,788

Living in Medina costs roughly 52% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medina 2% above, Dubai 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 SAR 20.75

$13.04 AED 47.89

-57.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.09 SAR 120

$81.4 AED 299

-60.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 SAR 30.78

$9.32 AED 34.25

-12.02%

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

$2.70 SAR 10.15

$5.97 AED 21.93

-54.77%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$1.63 AED 5.98

-53.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.95

$0.81 AED 2.99

-69.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$1.81 AED 6.64

-17.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$1.57 AED 5.78

-41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

$2.49 AED 9.16

-6.83%

Eggs

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$3.28 AED 12.04

-36.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 SAR 20.44

$12.67 AED 46.53

-57.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 SAR 26.39

$9.75 AED 35.80

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 SAR 46.90

$13.18 AED 48.40

-5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 SAR 9.10

$2.61 AED 9.57

-7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$1.93 AED 7.09

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

$1.92 AED 7.05

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$1.36 AED 5.00

13.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.17 AED 4.29

16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$1.01 AED 3.71

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 SAR 3.49

$1.51 AED 5.56

-38.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 SAR 2.68

$0.62 AED 2.29

14.52%

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)

$7.54 SAR 28.32

$5.85 AED 21.50

28.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.64 AED 6.03

-35.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 SAR 138

$73.6 AED 270

-50.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$3.17 AED 11.66

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$0.71 AED 2.63

136.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 SAR 21.44

$7.96 AED 29.23

-28.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.99 AED 3.64

-35.35%

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

$41.8K SAR 157.0K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

52.74%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.5K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

-8.38%

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

$149 SAR 558

$250 AED 920

-40.64%

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

$27.41 SAR 103

$54.2 AED 199

-49.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.7 SAR 341

$91.8 AED 337

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.9 SAR 296

$98.6 AED 362

-20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 SAR 33.83

$42.61 AED 156

-78.85%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$16.03 AED 58.9

-15.72%

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

$294 SAR 1,103

$843 AED 3,098

-65.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,483 SAR 20.6K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-69.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 SAR 138

$68.0 AED 250

-45.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$57.9 AED 213

-6.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 SAR 252

$101 AED 370

-33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 SAR 263

$101 AED 371

-30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 SAR 2,139

$2,380 AED 8,741

-76.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 SAR 1,988

$1,506 AED 5,531

-64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 SAR 2,926

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,151

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-80.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 SAR 8,670

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-67.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 SAR 5,091

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-67.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 SAR 4,671

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-63.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.54

-8.15%

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

Last update for Medina: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medina

$529 39.2%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 185% $976

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$267 19.7%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 48.6% $130

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$191 14.1%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 53.5% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$106 7.8%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 23.4% $25

Eating Out

Medina

$105 7.8%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 193% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$103 7.6%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 43.5% $45

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Dubai

$87 3% 71.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $570 in Medina and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 173% 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 $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $293 per month, with Medina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

1 h ahead of Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medina Dubai 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medina
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 173% lower in Dubai. 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: $570 in Medina versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medina runs roughly 100% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $294 in Medina versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,364 in Medina versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Medina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medina is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medina and Dubai 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 109% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.