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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $978 in Mecca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Mecca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,965 in Mecca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 153% more expensive than in Mecca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Mecca is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.55 SAR 17.08

311.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$27.00 SAR 101

157.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.94 SAR 26.07

98.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.04

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.62 SAR 9.83

18.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.72 SAR 2.70

293.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.23 SAR 0.86

717.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.01 SAR 3.80

113.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.29 SAR 8.59

-23.14%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.42 SAR 9.09

111.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$6.45 SAR 24.23

177.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.03 SAR 30.17

20.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.76 SAR 47.92

57.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.04 SAR 7.67

59.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.66 SAR 6.23

34.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.61 SAR 6.04

61.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.63 SAR 6.13

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.13 SAR 4.26

95.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.31 SAR 4.90

61.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.10 SAR 4.14

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.50 SAR 1.86

90.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.20 SAR 15.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.71 SAR 25.20

9.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.36 SAR 5.11

128.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.90 SAR 7.14

72.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.72 SAR 6.46

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$13.53 SAR 50.8

153.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.61 SAR 2.29

183.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$48.0K SAR 180.4K

-24.26%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.3K SAR 80.0K

43.44%

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

$187 €163

$74.4 SAR 279

151.59%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$34.06 SAR 128

-55.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$67.9 SAR 255

-44.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$77.4 SAR 291

-27.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$34.11 SAR 128

-49.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$12.06 SAR 45.31

-5.39%

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

$997 €869

$398 SAR 1,494

150.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,586 SAR 17.2K

260.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$22.97 SAR 86.3

303.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$58.8 SAR 221

-29.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$49.77 SAR 187

123.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$51.0 SAR 192

145.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$597 SAR 2,241

186.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$313 SAR 1,175

311.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,531 SAR 5,749

67.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$514 SAR 1,931

277.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$6,400 SAR 24.0K

19.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,281 SAR 8,568

126.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,093 SAR 4,107

114.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.25

-39.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mecca: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $597 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 115% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $195 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 153% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $978 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $597 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $398 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Mecca versus $2,476 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 153% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.