Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mecca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Mecca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,917 in Mecca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,769 in Mecca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 122% more expensive than Mecca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mecca is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.89 SAR 18.34

259.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$39.53 SAR 148

73.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.39 SAR 35.23

49.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.16 SAR 11.87

-12.03%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.87 SAR 3.25

221.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.29 SAR 1.07

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.89 SAR 3.34

128.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.24 SAR 8.41

-14.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.98 SAR 11.19

11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.04 SAR 26.43

161.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.39 SAR 31.48

13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.38 SAR 50.2

43.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.31 SAR 8.69

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.61 SAR 6.06

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.77 SAR 6.65

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.04 SAR 7.66

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.26 SAR 4.73

61.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.24 SAR 4.67

49.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.06 SAR 3.96

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.68 SAR 2.56

23.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$8.01 SAR 30.06

-10.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.31 SAR 4.92

127.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.59 SAR 152

-27.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.44 SAR 9.14

88.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.83 SAR 6.89

13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$10.59 SAR 39.74

175.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.60 SAR 2.26

206.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.8K SAR 100.4K

45.80%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

52.49%

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

$188 €162

$77.7 SAR 291

141.88%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$35.25 SAR 132

-34.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$65.8 SAR 247

-44.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$87.6 SAR 329

-34.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$34.97 SAR 131

-40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$18.59 SAR 69.8

-39.81%

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

$721 €620

$404 SAR 1,517

78.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,604 SAR 17.3K

226.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$22.51 SAR 84.5

282.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$62.5 SAR 235

-40.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$58.8 SAR 221

73.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$51.1 SAR 192

126.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$231 SAR 867

563.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$282 SAR 1,058

332.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$669 SAR 2,509

303.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,026 SAR 3,851

96.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$6,512 SAR 24.4K

10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,238 SAR 8,399

131.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,075 SAR 4,034

119.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.5

-38.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mecca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $231 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 119% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $207 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mecca differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,065 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 119% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $231 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $404 in Mecca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,065 in Mecca versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Barcelona 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 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.