What Does Living in Medina Really Cost?

Many talk about emigrating.
Few talk honestly about costs.

Medina is a dream destination for many – spiritual, family-friendly, and significantly quieter than Riyadh or Jeddah. But if you want to live there as a regular employee with a family, you need clarity about the actual cost of living.

Here you get no romantic numbers, but realistic experience-based values.

Residence Costs – What Does the Employer Cover?

If you are normally employed by a company in Saudi Arabia, the employer typically covers:

• your residence fee of €2,500 per year
• your health insurance (approx. €50 per year)
• often also the one-time visa fee of approx. €500

What is usually not covered are the residence fees for your family. For each family member, approximately €100 per month applies. For four family members, that's €400 monthly.

For transparency, we still include all amounts in the calculation – even if your employer covers parts of it. This way you get a complete picture, especially if you later become self-employed or change employers.

Living in Medina

For a family of five at a solid European level, a 5-room apartment with three bathrooms realistically costs approximately €7,000–8,000 per year, or around €600 monthly.

Of course, there are cheaper apartments – here we consciously calculate with a stable family standard.

Food, Clothing, and Daily Life

For a family of five – including eating out once a week and clothing – you should realistically budget €600–800 per month. In the example calculation, we use €700 monthly as an average.

Health Insurance and Medical Care

Health insurance for the employee costs approximately €50 per year and is typically covered by the employer.

Health insurance for the family costs approximately €400 per year in the basic version. This is a legally required minimum insurance in Saudi Arabia. It covers primarily basic services as well as longer hospital stays, but is limited to certain clinics and does not offer comprehensive premium protection.

Many outpatient treatments, specialized services, or high-quality private clinics often must be paid additionally in cash. A financial reserve for medical matters is therefore advisable.

In addition, there are significantly more powerful insurance models. Depending on the provider and scope of coverage, such policies can cost, for example, €10,000 or even €15,000 per year – with access to high-quality private clinics, extended treatment services, and international coverage. Which variant makes sense depends on individual requirements, family situation, and desired level of security.

Additional Monthly Fixed Costs

Many families in Medina use their mobile data plans and smartphone as a hotspot solution for home use. For normal everyday use – streaming, social media, and occasional work – this is often sufficient.

However, if a separate WiFi router is desired for a more stable connection throughout the household, you should budget monthly costs of approx. €100. This ongoing additional item is not included in our previous fixed cost calculation.

School Fees – Highly Dependent on the System

Depending on the system, costs per child can range between €100 and €600 monthly:

• Home-Schooling: from approx. €100
• International schools in Medina: €400–600 or more

Of course, there is also the option to send children to a public school. These are free. However, instruction takes place exclusively in Arabic.

For children without sufficient language skills, this can represent a significant adjustment. Whether this model is suitable depends on individual background and long-term educational goals.

For two school-age children, this can mean an additional €200 to €1,200 monthly.

Total Calculation – Realistic Monthly and Annual Costs

Example calculation for a family of five with two children (medium school level approx. €150 per child).

1 Residence & Administrative Costs

2 Housing & Daily Life

3 Lifestyle & Mobility

4 Education

Total Overview

Total costs per month: approx. €3,331

Total costs per year: approx. €40,530

If your employer covers the €2,500 residence fee, the €50 health insurance, and the €500 visa fee, your actual burden is reduced accordingly.

Minimum Costs – What Is Theoretically Possible?

If you consciously want to reduce to an absolute minimum, certain expenses can be consistently saved or significantly reduced. These are primarily costs that are not strictly necessary but depend on individual lifestyle.

Food and housing will naturally be correspondingly cheaper if you have a smaller family.

Total savings: approx. €1,150 per month or €13,800 per year

Important Note: These Are Only Fixed Costs

Not included are:

• Home flights
• Major medical procedures
• Furniture and moving
• Repairs
• Major purchases
• Reserve building

Conclusion – Medina Is Possible, But Only With Planning

Medina is absolutely livable – even for families. But only with:

• stable income
• clear residence structure
• honest calculation
• sufficient safety buffer

Emigrating doesn't work through emotion. It works through planning.