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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,041 in Mecca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,881 in Mecca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,721 in Mecca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than in Mecca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mecca is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.88 SAR 18.32

261.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$40.07 SAR 150

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.21 SAR 34.60

53.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.19 SAR 11.98

-12.23%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.91 SAR 3.41

208.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.29 SAR 1.08

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.67 SAR 6.25

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.89 SAR 3.34

128.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.26 SAR 8.49

-12.39%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.97 SAR 11.17

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.92 SAR 25.99

164.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.58 SAR 32.23

14.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.57 SAR 50.9

40.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.31 SAR 8.67

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.57 SAR 5.88

51.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.87 SAR 7.02

11.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.03 SAR 7.63

35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.20 SAR 4.49

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.22 SAR 4.57

46.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.05 SAR 3.94

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.66 SAR 2.46

37.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.25 SAR 15.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.94 SAR 29.81

-10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.37 SAR 5.14

119.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.83 SAR 150

-26.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.35 SAR 8.83

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.83 SAR 6.87

16.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.56 SAR 39.64

180.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.59 SAR 2.22

208.47%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

44.01%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.9K SAR 78.6K

54.77%

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

$189 €166

$77.1 SAR 289

145.30%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$35.21 SAR 132

-36.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$67.3 SAR 253

-44.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$84.8 SAR 318

-31.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$34.89 SAR 131

-40.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$18.68 SAR 70.1

-41.81%

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

$706 €618

$399 SAR 1,500

76.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,631 SAR 17.4K

221.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$22.32 SAR 83.8

300.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$63.5 SAR 239

-42.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$59.2 SAR 222

75.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$51.3 SAR 192

132.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$226 SAR 849

598.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$290 SAR 1,090

326.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$686 SAR 2,576

295.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,041 SAR 3,909

95.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$6,389 SAR 24.0K

17.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,305 SAR 8,656

127.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,089 SAR 4,088

117.13%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mecca: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $226 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 117% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,041 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $226 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $399 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 $1,041 in Mecca versus $2,320 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 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.