Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca and in Al Khobar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mecca and in Al Khobar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $1,405 in Al Khobar.

Mecca $936
Al Khobar $1,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $2,186 in Al Khobar.

Mecca $1,453
Al Khobar $2,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $2,967 in Al Khobar.

Mecca $1,970
Al Khobar $2,967

Living in Mecca costs roughly 33% less than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mecca is 31% below, Al Khobar is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$6.53 SAR 24.51

-30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$59.2 SAR 222

-54.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$7.86 SAR 29.50

-10.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-43.43%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-44.40%

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$4.48 SAR 16.79

-41.74%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$0.87 SAR 3.25

-22.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.38 SAR 1.42

-39.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.70 SAR 6.38

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$1.28 SAR 4.80

-19.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-14.23%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$2.32 SAR 8.69

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$7.15 SAR 26.84

-17.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$10.24 SAR 38.43

-21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$11.69 SAR 43.86

10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-20.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.98 SAR 7.43

-18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$1.77 SAR 6.64

-16.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.36 SAR 5.11

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.66 SAR 6.23

-36.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.53 SAR 2.01

-5.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

$2.63 SAR 9.88

54.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.59 SAR 5.98

16.35%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$1.84 SAR 6.91

-13.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$6.66 SAR 25.00

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$0.73 SAR 2.75

83.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$3.23 SAR 12.14

-24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$6.48 SAR 24.31

102.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.63 SAR 2.37

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

-28.33%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

-6.24%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$99.6 SAR 374

-32.85%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$33.32 SAR 125

6.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$70.5 SAR 265

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$82.0 SAR 308

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$37.23 SAR 140

14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$15.07 SAR 56.6

-20.64%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$589 SAR 2,210

31.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

90.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$62.0 SAR 233

-78.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$83.0 SAR 312

-31.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$97.2 SAR 365

-59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$93.9 SAR 352

-43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$630 SAR 2,363

-15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$499 SAR 1,873

-41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$1,187 SAR 4,454

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$860 SAR 3,226

-39.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$2,404 SAR 9,020

165.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$1,444 SAR 5,417

59.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$1,829 SAR 6,864

-40.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.88

-10.71%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Al Khobar

$499 35.5% 72.1% $209

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Al Khobar

$217 15.5% 12.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Al Khobar

$203 14.5% 23% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Al Khobar

$112 8% 7.2% $7.5

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Al Khobar

$135 9.6% 45.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Al Khobar

$151 10.8% 106% $78

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Al Khobar

$87 6.2% 426% $70

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 $533 in Mecca and $630 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 69% 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: $27.00 in Mecca vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $217 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

Same time as Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

219,679

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Al Khobar 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
Al Khobar

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

Mecca vs Al Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mecca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Al Khobar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Mecca versus $630 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $775 in Mecca versus $589 in Al Khobar. 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 $59.0 in Al Khobar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,405 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. 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, Mecca and Al Khobar 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 50% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.