Medina at a glance
- Medina ranks 4th of 8 priced cities in Saudi Arabia on cost: $1,043 a month in essentials, 47% above Abha, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,340 covers that 1.3×.
- 187.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 31.2 µg/m³ a year, 6× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 8 Saudi Arabia cities we track, so every row says whether Medina is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,043 | $1,048 | $4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $523 | $513 | $10 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $559 | $663 | $104 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $115 | $119 | $4 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $130 | $170 | 1.31× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $238 | $167 | 1.43× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $37 | $38 | $2 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,340 | $1,822 | 1.36× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $572 | $728 | 1.27× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $764 | $1,266 | 1.66× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Medina, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.46 | $6.66 | $1.20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $31.95 | $45.27 | 1.42× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.99 | $7.99 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.63 | $3.41 | 1.30× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.77 | $0.77 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.24 | $0.26 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.46 | $1.65 | $0.19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.95 | $1.04 | $0.09 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.33 | $2.38 | $0.05 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.05 | $2.71 | 1.32× as much |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $5.33 | $7.20 | 1.35× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.10 | $7.32 | $0.22 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.40 | $2.28 | $0.12 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.95 | $1.79 | $0.16 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.51 | $1.71 | $0.20 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.40 | $1.42 | $0.02 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.33 | $1.36 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.73 | $0.57 | 1.27× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.07 | $1.07 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $37.28 | $37.28 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.33 | $2.79 | 2.10× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.66 | $2.66 | 1.60× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $149.40 | $97.23 | 1.54× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $89.03 | $73.20 | $15.83 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $27.62 | $32.56 | $4.94 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $79.14 | $88.19 | $9.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $13.31 | $15.31 | $2.00 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Medina has 187.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the 4th-highest of 10 Saudi Arabia cities we track. Saudi Arabia's national figure is 178.1, so Medina runs 10 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Medina ranks against every city we track
Medina sits ahead of 96% of the 1022 cities we track on safety. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 67% of 974. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 1% of 1074.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Medina sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Medina on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Medina beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Medina in the research deskOr unlock the Saudi Arabia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Konevi, CC0.
Data updated