Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,207 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca and in Izmir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $1,207 in Izmir.

Mecca $936
Izmir $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $1,906 in Izmir.

Mecca $1,453
Izmir $1,906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $2,606 in Izmir.

Mecca $1,970
Izmir $2,606

Living in Mecca costs roughly 22% less than in Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mecca 31% lower, Izmir 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$10.20 ₺505

-55.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$36.97 ₺1,831

-27.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$8.43 ₺417

-16.13%

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

$3.54 ₺175

-26.27%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$1.50 ₺74.3

-55.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.63 ₺31.18

-63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₺168

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 ₺257

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.10 ₺54.4

59.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$1.06 ₺52.5

-2.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$2.32 ₺115

-9.05%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$2.55 ₺126

-1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$9.29 ₺460

-36.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$5.14 ₺255

57.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$21.02 ₺1,041

-38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$1.98 ₺97.9

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.08 ₺103

-24.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.02 ₺50.6

57.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$1.43 ₺71.0

2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$0.56 ₺27.60

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$0.41 ₺20.50

217.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.10 ₺54.7

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.76 ₺37.49

-34.21%

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

$2.20 ₺109

209.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 ₺571

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₺100

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₺153

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$0.68 ₺33.71

97.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.37 ₺2,147

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$3.61 ₺179

-32.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.04 ₺51.3

68.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$5.36 ₺266

145.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.36 ₺67.1

-53.68%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$40.6K ₺2.0M

16.90%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$46.7K ₺2.3M

-54.81%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$82.5 ₺4,086

-18.99%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$10.63 ₺526

232.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$16.18 ₺801

290.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$64.0 ₺3,171

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$35.09 ₺1,737

21.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$7.99 ₺396

49.69%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$685 ₺33.9K

13.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$14.1K ₺700.2K

14.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$46.16 ₺2,286

-70.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$36.59 ₺1,812

55.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$91.4 ₺4,527

-56.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$80.2 ₺3,971

-33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$606 ₺30.0K

-11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$416 ₺20.6K

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$1,126 ₺55.7K

-26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$800 ₺39.6K

-34.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$1,455 ₺72.0K

338.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$1,006 ₺49.8K

128.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$1,158 ₺57.3K

-6.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

42.33

-87.60%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Izmir

$416 34.5% 43.4% $126

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Izmir

$247 20.5% 27.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Izmir

$109 9.1% 33.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Izmir

$80 6.6% 23.5% $25

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Izmir

$185 15.4% 100% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Izmir

$114 9.5% 55.6% $41

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Izmir

$55 4.6% 232% $38

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 $606 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 7% 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 $37.00 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $247 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇹🇷 Izmir

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

Same time as Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

4,493,242

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Izmir 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
Izmir

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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Izmir. 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 7% lower in Izmir. 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 $606 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Izmir. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $936 per month in Mecca versus $1,207 in Izmir – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,207 in Izmir, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Izmir. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mecca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $936 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mecca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mecca and Izmir 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 29% less than in Izmir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.