Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca and in Berlin

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Mecca vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Mecca $936
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $1,453 per month in Mecca vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Mecca $1,453
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $1,970 per month in Mecca vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Mecca $1,970
Berlin $5,139

Mecca is about 63% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mecca sits 31% below the global median, while Berlin is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$16.65 €14.81

-72.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$76.7 €68.2

-64.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$13.47 €11.98

-47.51%

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

$4.37 €3.89

-40.27%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$3.48 €3.09

-80.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$3.12 €2.77

-92.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.27 €1.13

37.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$2.33 €2.08

-55.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$3.40 €3.02

-37.94%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$4.50 €4.00

-44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$16.78 €14.93

-64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$11.91 €10.59

-32.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$17.90 €15.92

-27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$3.46 €3.07

-39.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.95 €1.73

-18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$3.26 €2.90

-50.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$3.71 €3.30

-60.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.10 €1.87

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.09 €1.86

-37.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.42 €1.27

-26.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.95 €0.84

-47.37%

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

$10.44 €9.29

-34.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$4.34 €3.86

-69.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$5.26 €4.68

-53.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$3.09 €2.75

-43.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$36.34 €32.32

-63.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$2.31 €2.05

-72.73%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$32.4K €28.8K

46.42%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$38.6K €34.3K

-45.29%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$382 €340

-82.48%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$18.83 €16.75

87.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$48.57 €43.20

30.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$40.21 €35.76

100.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$34.90 €31.04

21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$15.73 €14.00

-23.97%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$142 €126

447.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$15.8K €14.0K

2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$95.4 €84.8

-85.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$46.32 €41.20

22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$104 €92.4

-61.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$143 €128

-62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$1,469 €1,306

-63.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$1,114 €991

-73.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$2,751 €2,447

-69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$2,107 €1,875

-75.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$8,454 €7,520

-24.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$5,435 €4,834

-57.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$3,543 €3,151

-69.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.8

38.16%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 284% $824

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 77.5% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 172% $284

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 31.5% $33

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 211% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 138% $101

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 563% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Mecca versus $1,469 in Berlin. 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 227% higher in Berlin, 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 $27.00 in Mecca versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $343 – making Mecca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

1 h behind Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

3,769,962 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Berlin 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,404 per month in Mecca and $3,826 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Mecca and $77.0 in Berlin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mecca, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Mecca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mecca – 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 Mecca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.