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

🙂 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 0.3% cheaper than Medina without rent, and 20% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Riyadh is 16.8% more expensive than Medina without rent, and 46% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.14 SAR 30.53
$5.43 SAR 20.37
49.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 SAR 202
$32.34 SAR 121
66.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.79 SAR 29.21
$8.18 SAR 30.66
-4.77%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 SAR 6.54
$1.57 SAR 5.89
10.83%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 SAR 8.31
$1.71 SAR 6.40
29.82%
Cappuccino
$4.09 SAR 15.33
$2.43 SAR 9.10
68.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 SAR 2.72
$0.81 SAR 3.03
-11.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.08
$0.39 SAR 1.46
-25.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 SAR 6.39
$1.70 SAR 6.37
0.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 SAR 4.97
$0.97 SAR 3.64
36.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 SAR 8.80
$2.29 SAR 8.58
2.62%
Eggs
$2.64 SAR 9.91
$2.14 SAR 8.01
23.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.29 SAR 31.09
$6.47 SAR 24.25
28.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.17 SAR 38.13
$7.08 SAR 26.53
43.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 SAR 55.1
$12.60 SAR 47.24
16.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 SAR 8.43
$2.39 SAR 8.94
-5.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 SAR 6.27
$2.16 SAR 8.09
-22.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 SAR 6.77
$2.18 SAR 8.17
-16.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.91
$1.68 SAR 6.30
-5.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 SAR 4.61
$1.42 SAR 5.34
-13.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SAR 5.66
$1.49 SAR 5.59
1.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 SAR 5.37
$0.98 SAR 3.68
45.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 SAR 2.07
$0.87 SAR 3.25
-36.78%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$7.88 SAR 29.54
$1.36 SAR 5.11
479.41%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 SAR 6.69
$1.65 SAR 6.20
7.88%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 SAR 8.73
$1.62 SAR 6.06
43.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.55 SAR 28.31
$7.47 SAR 28.03
1.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.11
$1.05 SAR 3.93
4.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.55 SAR 137
$37.99 SAR 142
-3.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 SAR 11.71
$1.37 SAR 5.13
127.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 SAR 7.14
$1.71 SAR 6.41
11.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.42 SAR 50.3
$5.52 SAR 20.69
143.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SAR 2.24
$0.59 SAR 2.23
1.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K SAR 131.3K
$21.3K SAR 80.0K
64.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K SAR 88.2K
$21.2K SAR 79.5K
10.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 SAR 398
$204 SAR 764
-47.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.52 SAR 133
$32.64 SAR 122
8.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.2 SAR 286
$105 SAR 394
-27.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 SAR 392
$76.5 SAR 287
36.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$59.4 SAR 223
$8.72 SAR 32.71
581.65%
Cinema Ticket
$15.71 SAR 58.9
$13.27 SAR 49.75
18.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 SAR 1,698
$292 SAR 1,093
55.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,659 SAR 36.2K
$7,490 SAR 28.1K
28.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6 SAR 220
$36.57 SAR 137
60.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.7 SAR 246
$53.1 SAR 199
23.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SAR 409
$65.7 SAR 246
65.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.7 SAR 366
$97.1 SAR 364
0.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,082 SAR 4,057
$434 SAR 1,628
149.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$859 SAR 3,222
$558 SAR 2,093
53.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,019 SAR 7,571
$718 SAR 2,691
181.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 SAR 4,203
$418 SAR 1,568
167.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,951 SAR 11.1K
$2,297 SAR 8,612
28.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,882 SAR 7,057
$1,313 SAR 4,922
43.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Medina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,289 SAR 8,584
$1,325 SAR 4,967
72.83%
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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Medina: April 13, 2026

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

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