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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,352 in Medina versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Medina versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Medina versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Medina costs roughly 40% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 2% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 SAR 21.01

$17.55 €15.12

-68.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.04 SAR 120

$64.5 €55.6

-50.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.41

$11.65 €10.04

-30.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Cappuccino

$2.71 SAR 10.17

$3.26 €2.81

-16.87%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$2.49 €2.15

-67.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.67 €1.44

-86.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$1.18 €1.02

25.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$1.95 €1.68

-51.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.93

$1.56 €1.35

52.56%

Eggs

$2.03 SAR 7.63

$4.01 €3.46

-49.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 SAR 19.80

$13.27 €11.44

-60.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 SAR 27.12

$8.42 €7.26

-14.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 47.01

$18.23 €15.72

-31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.20

$2.32 €2.00

5.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.73 €1.49

9.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$1.93 €1.67

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$2.64 €2.27

-44.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.90 €1.64

-28.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$2.11 €1.82

-36.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.45

$1.44 €1.24

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 SAR 2.69

$0.80 €0.69

-10.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.47

$7.01 €6.04

8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$2.38 €2.05

-54.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.59 SAR 141

$46.22 €39.85

-18.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$4.19 €3.61

-68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.10 €0.95

47.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 SAR 21.48

$17.26 €14.88

-66.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$2.25 €1.94

-73.78%

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

$42.4K SAR 159.2K

$34.5K €29.7K

22.97%

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

$20.5K SAR 77.0K

$41.6K €35.9K

-50.76%

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

$152 SAR 572

$171 €147

-10.86%

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

$27.81 SAR 104

$19.01 €16.38

46.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.8 SAR 341

$34.28 €29.55

164.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 SAR 300

$49.65 €42.80

61.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.93 SAR 33.55

$19.51 €16.81

-54.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 SAR 50.8

$10.10 €8.71

33.76%

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

$291 SAR 1,091

$699 €603

-58.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,504 SAR 20.7K

$17.8K €15.3K

-69.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.97 SAR 143

$105 €90.2

-63.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$47.97 €41.35

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 SAR 248

$102 €87.8

-35.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 SAR 260

$128 €111

-46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,132

$1,661 €1,432

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 SAR 1,967

$1,228 €1,059

-57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 SAR 2,902

$2,915 €2,513

-73.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SAR 2,140

$2,023 €1,744

-71.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 SAR 8,619

$8,129 €7,007

-71.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,320 SAR 4,956

$4,635 €3,996

-71.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,348 SAR 5,064

$1,619 €1,396

-16.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.78

10.32%

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

Last update for Medina: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Medina and $1,661 in Lisbon. 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: $32.00 in Medina vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $281 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina and Lisbon differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,352 vs $2,268 including rent). Medina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lisbon. 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: $568 in Medina versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $291 in Medina versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,352 in Medina versus $2,268 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, Medina and Lisbon 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 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.