Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,065 in Mecca versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,917 in Mecca versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,769 in Mecca versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Mecca costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mecca is 21% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 SAR 18.34

$17.58 €15.12

-72.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.53 SAR 148

$68.4 €58.9

-42.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 SAR 35.23

$14.06 €12.09

-33.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

Cappuccino

$3.16 SAR 11.87

$2.78 €2.39

13.67%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$2.80 €2.41

-68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$2.06 €1.78

-85.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.24 €1.07

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 SAR 3.34

$2.03 €1.74

-56.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$1.92 €1.65

16.67%

Eggs

$2.98 SAR 11.19

$3.31 €2.85

-9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 SAR 26.43

$18.43 €15.85

-61.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 SAR 31.48

$9.49 €8.16

-11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 SAR 50.2

$19.16 €16.48

-30.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.69

$2.64 €2.27

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$2.45 €2.11

-34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$2.12 €1.82

-16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$2.85 €2.45

-28.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$2.04 €1.75

-38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$1.85 €1.59

-32.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.47 €1.26

-27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 SAR 2.56

$0.84 €0.73

-19.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 SAR 30.06

$7.14 €6.14

12.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$2.98 €2.56

-56.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.59 SAR 152

$29.26 €25.17

38.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

$4.60 €3.95

-46.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.89

$2.07 €1.78

-11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 SAR 39.74

$29.18 €25.10

-63.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.84 €1.58

-67.39%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-31.41%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

-34.42%

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

$77.7 SAR 291

$188 €162

-58.66%

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

$35.25 SAR 132

$22.93 €19.73

53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$36.71 €31.58

79.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.6 SAR 329

$57.4 €49.35

52.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.97 SAR 131

$20.70 €17.80

68.94%

Cinema Ticket

$18.59 SAR 69.8

$11.19 €9.63

66.13%

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

$404 SAR 1,517

$721 €620

-43.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,604 SAR 17.3K

$15.0K €12.9K

-69.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 SAR 84.5

$86.2 €74.2

-73.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 SAR 235

$37.07 €31.89

68.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.8 SAR 221

$102 €87.8

-42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 SAR 192

$116 €99.7

-55.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 SAR 867

$1,534 €1,319

-84.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,058

$1,220 €1,050

-76.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 SAR 2,509

$2,696 €2,319

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 SAR 3,851

$2,013 €1,732

-49.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,512 SAR 24.4K

$7,220 €6,211

-9.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,238 SAR 8,399

$5,189 €4,463

-56.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 SAR 4,034

$2,359 €2,029

-54.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

3.39

62.24%

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

Last update for Mecca: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Mecca and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 119% 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 Mecca vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $318 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

Mecca vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca and Barcelona differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,065 vs $2,367 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 119% less. 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: $231 in Mecca versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $404 in Mecca versus $721 in Barcelona. 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 $1,065 in Mecca versus $2,367 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 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.