Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Medina Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Medina

😐 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 25.5% more expensive than Medina without rent, and 20.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Riyadh is 15.8% more expensive than Medina without rent, and 44.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
šŸ½ Eating Out
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.92 SARĀ 29.72
$5.70 SARĀ 21.39
38.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.9 SARĀ 198
$32.16 SARĀ 121
64.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.85 SARĀ 29.43
$7.77 SARĀ 29.15
1.03%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.76 SARĀ 6.59
$1.62 SARĀ 6.08
8.64%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SARĀ 8.27
$1.70 SARĀ 6.37
29.41%
Cappuccino
$3.99 SARĀ 14.96
$2.44 SARĀ 9.14
63.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 SARĀ 2.90
$0.75 SARĀ 2.83
2.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SARĀ 1.07
$0.39 SARĀ 1.45
-25.64%
šŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SARĀ 6.16
$1.67 SARĀ 6.27
-1.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 SARĀ 4.72
$0.96 SARĀ 3.61
31.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 SARĀ 9.15
$2.32 SARĀ 8.69
5.17%
Eggs
$2.74 SARĀ 10.28
$2.07 SARĀ 7.76
32.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 SARĀ 30.89
$6.56 SARĀ 24.60
25.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.10 SARĀ 37.88
$7.31 SARĀ 27.40
38.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.73 SARĀ 55.3
$12.75 SARĀ 47.80
15.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 SARĀ 8.64
$2.34 SARĀ 8.76
-1.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 SARĀ 6.40
$2.08 SARĀ 7.78
-17.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 SARĀ 6.68
$2.19 SARĀ 8.20
-18.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 SARĀ 5.75
$1.62 SARĀ 6.08
-5.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 SARĀ 4.86
$1.36 SARĀ 5.12
-4.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SARĀ 5.65
$1.46 SARĀ 5.47
3.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 SARĀ 5.42
$0.99 SARĀ 3.70
46.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 SARĀ 1.92
$0.87 SARĀ 3.28
-41.38%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$8.14 SARĀ 30.53
$1.31 SARĀ 4.92
521.37%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 SARĀ 6.45
$1.65 SARĀ 6.19
4.24%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 SARĀ 9.07
$1.61 SARĀ 6.05
50.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.50 SARĀ 28.14
$7.54 SARĀ 28.27
-0.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.04 SARĀ 3.90
$1.06 SARĀ 3.97
-1.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.86 SARĀ 138
$36.84 SARĀ 138
0.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 SARĀ 11.69
$1.31 SARĀ 4.93
138.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 SARĀ 7.17
$1.68 SARĀ 6.31
13.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.17 SARĀ 49.40
$5.46 SARĀ 20.49
141.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SARĀ 2.23
$0.60 SARĀ 2.26
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K SARĀ 131.1K
$21.0K SARĀ 78.6K
66.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K SARĀ 88.6K
$21.4K SARĀ 80.1K
10.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 SARĀ 395
$206 SARĀ 772
-48.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.86 SARĀ 131
$32.43 SARĀ 122
7.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 SARĀ 284
$104 SARĀ 390
-27.24%
šŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$104 SARĀ 390
$74.6 SARĀ 280
39.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$58.2 SARĀ 218
$8.98 SARĀ 33.66
548.22%
Cinema Ticket
$16.02 SARĀ 60.1
$13.35 SARĀ 50.1
20.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 SARĀ 1,745
$290 SARĀ 1,086
60.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,705 SARĀ 36.4K
$7,324 SARĀ 27.5K
32.51%
šŸ‘•šŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.4 SARĀ 223
$37.00 SARĀ 139
60.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 SARĀ 239
$52.7 SARĀ 197
21.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 SARĀ 401
$67.8 SARĀ 254
57.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 SARĀ 367
$99.3 SARĀ 372
-1.32%
šŸ  Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 SARĀ 4,089
$430 SARĀ 1,614
153.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$848 SARĀ 3,180
$564 SARĀ 2,115
50.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,067 SARĀ 7,753
$707 SARĀ 2,650
192.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 SARĀ 4,168
$406 SARĀ 1,521
174.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,924 SARĀ 11.0K
$2,295 SARĀ 8,605
27.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,908 SARĀ 7,155
$1,330 SARĀ 4,988
43.45%
šŸ’µ Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,382 SARĀ 8,931
$1,319 SARĀ 4,946
80.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.31
3
77.00%

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

Last update for Riyadh: March 3, 2026

Last update for Medina: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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