Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,339 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
Learn more

Medina Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index

Jump to prices

Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,339

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medina and in Riyadh

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Medina vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

Medina $1,339
Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $1,801 per month in Medina vs $2,567 in Riyadh, rent included.

Medina $1,801
Riyadh $2,567

A family of three spends $2,263 per month in Medina vs $3,396 in Riyadh, rent included.

Medina $2,263
Riyadh $3,396

Medina is about 23% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medina sits 1% below the global median, while Riyadh is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 SAR 20.86

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-31.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.40 SAR 118

$66.3 SAR 249

-52.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 SAR 29.11

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-4.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-23.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-43.29%

Cappuccino

$2.69 SAR 10.11

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-36.71%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.00

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-12.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 SAR 5.35

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.66

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-4.94%

Eggs

$2.03 SAR 7.61

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 SAR 20.35

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-49.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 SAR 27.04

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-23.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 SAR 47.32

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-16.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.53

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-13.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.16

$1.18 SAR 4.44

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$1.28 SAR 4.81

0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 SAR 3.22

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-49.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.85

$0.57 SAR 2.12

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-82.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-18.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-31.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 SAR 27.42

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-2.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.07 SAR 4.03

0.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 SAR 141

$37.34 SAR 140

0.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-56.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.81 SAR 6.79

-9.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 SAR 21.32

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-57.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-1.54%

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

$41.7K SAR 156.4K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

20.24%

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

$20.6K SAR 77.2K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-10.08%

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

$152 SAR 570

$106 SAR 396

44.00%

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

$27.74 SAR 104

$29.61 SAR 111

-6.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.7 SAR 337

$70.7 SAR 265

26.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 SAR 301

$91.6 SAR 344

-12.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SAR 33.54

$56.9 SAR 214

-84.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.2

$13.09 SAR 49.11

2.29%

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

$288 SAR 1,080

$523 SAR 1,963

-44.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,525 SAR 20.7K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-46.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 SAR 138

$58.8 SAR 221

-37.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 SAR 199

$53.1 SAR 199

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 SAR 253

$101 SAR 379

-33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 SAR 260

$103 SAR 386

-32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 SAR 2,088

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 SAR 1,929

$832 SAR 3,122

-38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 SAR 2,836

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 SAR 2,172

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-52.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,251 SAR 8,446

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

-24.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,324 SAR 4,967

$1,913 SAR 7,177

-30.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,209 SAR 4,537

$2,067 SAR 7,757

-41.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

5.54

-24.73%

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

Last update for Medina: October 10, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medina

$514 38.4%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 61.9% $318

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$269 20.1%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 23.6% $64

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$190 14.2%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 26.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$107 8%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 10.1% $11

Eating Out

Medina

$104 7.8%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 39.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$102 7.6%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 39.3% $40

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 4.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Medina versus $1,179 in Riyadh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Riyadh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Medina versus $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $242 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

Same time as Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medina Riyadh 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medina
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh costs about 30% more than Medina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,008 per month in Medina and $2,607 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $288 per month in Medina and $523 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Riyadh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Medina, where all-in costs run around $1,339, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Medina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medina costs $1,339 versus $1,738 in Riyadh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.