Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca and in Barcelona

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 Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Mecca $936
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Mecca $1,453
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Mecca $1,970
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Mecca costs roughly 61% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mecca is 31% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$17.94 €15.96

-74.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$68.1 €60.5

-60.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$13.28 €11.81

-46.76%

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

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$3.25 €2.89

-19.69%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$3.01 €2.67

-77.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.87 €1.66

-87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.29 €1.15

35.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$2.04 €1.81

-49.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$1.72 €1.53

22.67%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$4.77 €4.24

-47.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$16.77 €14.92

-64.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$8.93 €7.94

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$19.88 €17.68

-34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.98 €2.65

-29.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.03 €1.80

-22.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.73 €2.43

-41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$2.68 €2.38

-45.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.10 €1.87

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.08 €1.85

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.45 €1.29

-27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.89 €0.79

-43.82%

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)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$6.94 €6.17

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$2.99 €2.66

-55.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$3.12 €2.77

-22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.44 €1.28

21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$33.50 €29.80

-60.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.79 €1.59

-64.80%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$34.6K €30.8K

37.11%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$30.1K €26.7K

-29.74%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$178 €158

-62.41%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$13.32 €11.85

165.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$34.88 €31.03

81.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$53.3 €47.37

51.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$16.01 €14.24

165.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$11.06 €9.84

8.14%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$957 €851

-19.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$16.6K €14.7K

-2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$88.2 €78.4

-84.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$39.49 €35.12

44.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$103 €91.5

-61.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$121 €108

-56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$1,653 €1,470

-67.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$1,302 €1,158

-77.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$2,557 €2,275

-67.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$1,915 €1,703

-72.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$7,286 €6,481

-12.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$5,080 €4,519

-54.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$2,281 €2,029

-52.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.28

60.06%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 349% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 65.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 36.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 28% $29

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 192% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 115% $85

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Barcelona

$47 2% 187% $31

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 $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 111% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $320 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

1 h behind Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mecca Barcelona 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
Barcelona

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca and Barcelona differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($936 vs $2,399 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Barcelona. 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 $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $775 in Mecca versus $957 in Barcelona. 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Mecca versus $2,399 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, Mecca and Barcelona 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.