Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $936 in Mecca, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi 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 Delhi and in Mecca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $936 in Mecca, rent included.

Delhi $522
Mecca $936

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $1,453 in Mecca, rent included.

Delhi $872
Mecca $1,453

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $1,970 in Mecca, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Mecca $1,970

Delhi is about 44% cheaper than Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Delhi and Mecca are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Mecca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$4.57 SAR 17.14

-19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$26.89 SAR 101

-21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$7.07 SAR 26.52

-47.24%

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

$2.35 ₹223

$2.61 SAR 9.79

-9.96%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.67 SAR 2.51

-44.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.23 SAR 0.86

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-60.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$1.03 SAR 3.85

-48.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$2.11 SAR 7.91

-63.51%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$2.52 SAR 9.46

-55.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$5.92 SAR 22.20

-21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-56.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.09 SAR 7.84

-4.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$1.58 SAR 5.94

-53.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$1.61 SAR 6.05

-39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$1.47 SAR 5.52

-63.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$1.12 SAR 4.21

-73.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.50 SAR 1.86

-38.00%

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)

$4.94 ₹469

$6.81 SAR 25.56

-27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$1.34 SAR 5.03

-65.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$2.43 SAR 9.11

-55.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-84.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$13.15 SAR 49.33

-87.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$0.63 SAR 2.38

69.84%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-77.55%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

-10.35%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$66.9 SAR 251

-36.63%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$35.35 SAR 133

-88.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$63.2 SAR 237

-89.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$80.7 SAR 303

-76.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

$42.52 SAR 160

-81.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$11.96 SAR 44.88

-55.94%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$775 SAR 2,907

-87.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

-86.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$13.57 SAR 50.9

77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$56.9 SAR 214

-51.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$39.67 SAR 149

32.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$53.3 SAR 200

-19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$533 SAR 2,001

-49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$290 SAR 1,088

-46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$830 SAR 3,114

-11.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$523 SAR 1,963

-24.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

-60.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

$2,298 SAR 8,624

-55.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-43.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.25

58.67%

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

Last update for Delhi: 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

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Mecca

$290 31% 86% $134

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 77.3% $84

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 5.4% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 11% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 210% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 252% $75

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 17.4% $3.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $533 in Mecca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Mecca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $27.00 in Mecca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $193 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

2 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 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).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Delhi Mecca 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

Delhi vs Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $936 in Mecca – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $1,404 in Mecca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $522 in Delhi and $936 in Mecca. That's a gap of about 79%.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Delhi and $775 in Mecca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Mecca at $936. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mecca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mecca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.