Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,097 in Jubail, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
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Jubail Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

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Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,097

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,097 in Jubail versus $936 in Mecca.

Jubail $1,097
Mecca $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,722 in Jubail versus $1,453 in Mecca.

Jubail $1,722
Mecca $1,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,347 in Jubail versus $1,970 in Mecca.

Jubail $2,347
Mecca $1,970

Living in Jubail is roughly 17% more expensive than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jubail 19% lower, Mecca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 SAR 24.91

$4.57 SAR 17.14

45.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.75 SAR 149

$26.89 SAR 101

47.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 SAR 34.35

$7.07 SAR 26.52

29.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$1.55 SAR 5.81

18.71%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$1.49 SAR 5.61

55.03%

Cappuccino

$4.03 SAR 15.12

$2.61 SAR 9.79

54.41%

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

$0.98 SAR 3.66

$0.67 SAR 2.51

46.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.96

$0.23 SAR 0.86

13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 SAR 5.35

$1.03 SAR 3.85

38.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.27

$2.11 SAR 7.91

-20.85%

Eggs

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.52 SAR 9.46

-17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 SAR 37.02

$5.92 SAR 22.20

66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 SAR 23.34

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 SAR 45.21

$12.95 SAR 48.59

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$2.09 SAR 7.84

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.77

$1.58 SAR 5.94

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

$1.61 SAR 6.05

-6.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$1.47 SAR 5.52

18.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.12 SAR 4.21

15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$1.30 SAR 4.87

3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.05 SAR 3.94

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.08

$0.50 SAR 1.86

12.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.85

$4.06 SAR 15.24

-28.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$1.85 SAR 6.95

13.51%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

$1.59 SAR 5.97

25.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SAR 25.62

$6.81 SAR 25.56

0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.34 SAR 5.03

0.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.42 SAR 91.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.33

$2.43 SAR 9.11

35.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 SAR 9.68

$1.75 SAR 6.57

47.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 SAR 50.5

$13.15 SAR 49.33

2.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$0.63 SAR 2.38

-4.76%

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

$43.8K SAR 164.4K

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-7.75%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.5K

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

0.31%

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

$79.8 SAR 299

$66.9 SAR 251

19.34%

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

$27.92 SAR 105

$35.35 SAR 133

-21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.8 SAR 251

$63.2 SAR 237

5.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 SAR 378

$80.7 SAR 303

24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.49 SAR 148

$42.52 SAR 160

-7.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.3

$11.96 SAR 44.88

11.96%

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

$179 SAR 672

$775 SAR 2,907

-76.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,698 SAR 28.9K

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

-52.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.20 SAR 158

$13.57 SAR 50.9

210.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 SAR 218

$56.9 SAR 214

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 SAR 308

$39.67 SAR 149

106.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 SAR 319

$53.3 SAR 200

59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 SAR 1,589

$533 SAR 2,001

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 SAR 1,113

$290 SAR 1,088

2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 SAR 2,424

$830 SAR 3,114

-22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 SAR 2,015

$523 SAR 1,963

2.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,702 SAR 10.1K

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

-57.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 SAR 5,161

$2,298 SAR 8,624

-40.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,618 SAR 6,073

$1,083 SAR 4,063

49.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.25

7.05%

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

Last update for Jubail: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jubail

$297 27%

Mecca

$290 31% 2.2% $6.5

Groceries & Markets

Jubail

$198 18.1%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 2.6% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jubail

$175 15.9%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 5.2% $9.1

Eating Out

Jubail

$134 12.2%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 30.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Jubail

$127 11.6%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 17.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Jubail

$120 11%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 38.9% $47

Getting Around

Jubail

$46 4.2%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 64% $29

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 $423 in Jubail and $533 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 49% 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: $40.00 in Jubail vs $27.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $193 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Jubail

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

Same time as Jubail

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,778

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jubail Mecca 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jubail
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

Jubail vs Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Jubail. 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 49% higher in Jubail, 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: $423 in Jubail versus $533 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $179 in Jubail 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 $40.00 in Jubail. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,097 in Jubail, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Jubail. 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, Jubail 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 17% less than in Jubail. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.