Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mecca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Mecca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $936 in Mecca.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mecca $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,453 in Mecca.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mecca $1,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,970 in Mecca.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mecca $1,970

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 185% more expensive than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mecca is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.57 SAR 17.14

354.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$26.89 SAR 101

214.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.07 SAR 26.52

74.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.61 SAR 9.79

115.71%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.67 SAR 2.51

455.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.23 SAR 0.86

986.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.03 SAR 3.85

264.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.11 SAR 7.91

54.50%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.52 SAR 9.46

65.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.92 SAR 22.20

117.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.08 SAR 30.33

75.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.95 SAR 48.59

25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.09 SAR 7.84

107.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 SAR 5.94

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.61 SAR 6.05

180.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.47 SAR 5.52

195.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.12 SAR 4.21

130.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.30 SAR 4.87

80.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.05 SAR 3.94

69.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.50 SAR 1.86

344.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.81 SAR 25.56

45.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.34 SAR 5.03

11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.43 SAR 9.11

12.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-5.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$13.15 SAR 49.33

168.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.63 SAR 2.38

50.79%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-24.08%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

28.15%

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

$229 $229

$66.9 SAR 251

242.49%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$35.35 SAR 133

68.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$63.2 SAR 237

10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$80.7 SAR 303

-29.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$42.52 SAR 160

-61.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.96 SAR 44.88

19.40%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$775 SAR 2,907

94.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$13.57 SAR 50.9

289.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$56.9 SAR 214

-23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$39.67 SAR 149

113.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$53.3 SAR 200

93.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$533 SAR 2,001

257.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$290 SAR 1,088

339.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$830 SAR 3,114

341.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$523 SAR 1,963

385.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

19.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,298 SAR 8,624

37.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,083 SAR 4,063

372.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.25

29.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mecca

$290 31% 77.2% $984

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 52.3% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 53.8% $193

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 73.8% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 42.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 22% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 71.8% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $533 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 373% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $27.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $193 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,675,368

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

SAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mecca 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mecca

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

Austin, TX vs Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mecca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 373% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $533 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $775 in Mecca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mecca – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Mecca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Mecca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.