Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Izmir Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Izmir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,065 in Mecca versus $1,235 in Izmir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,917 in Mecca versus $1,876 in Izmir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,769 in Mecca versus $2,517 in Izmir.

Living in Mecca costs roughly 14% less than in Izmir, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mecca 21% lower, Izmir 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 SAR 18.35

$8.03 ₺369

-39.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.53 SAR 148

$37.40 ₺1,719

5.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 SAR 35.24

$7.65 ₺352

22.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Cappuccino

$3.16 SAR 11.87

$3.35 ₺154

-5.67%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$1.44 ₺66.2

-39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.53 ₺24.36

-45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 ₺177

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 ₺228

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.06 ₺48.51

54.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 SAR 3.34

$0.88 ₺40.65

1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$2.50 ₺115

-10.40%

Eggs

$2.98 SAR 11.19

$2.53 ₺116

17.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 SAR 26.43

$11.66 ₺536

-39.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 SAR 31.49

$6.81 ₺313

23.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 SAR 50.2

$21.53 ₺990

-37.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.69

$1.43 ₺65.8

61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$2.83 ₺130

-43.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$1.48 ₺67.8

19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.66

$1.86 ₺85.7

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$0.88 ₺40.51

43.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$0.67 ₺30.78

85.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.02 ₺46.92

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 SAR 2.56

$0.64 ₺29.27

6.25%

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 30.07

$2.32 ₺107

245.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 ₺497

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₺100

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₺149

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$0.60 ₺27.59

118.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.59 SAR 152

$31.50 ₺1,448

28.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

$3.10 ₺143

-21.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.89

$0.65 ₺29.65

181.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 SAR 39.75

$4.94 ₺227

114.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.23 ₺56.3

-51.22%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.4K

$44.8K ₺2.1M

-40.25%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

$45.6K ₺2.1M

-53.01%

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

$77.7 SAR 291

$99.6 ₺4,579

-22.06%

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

$35.25 SAR 132

$11.43 ₺525

208.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$13.19 ₺606

399.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.6 SAR 329

$47.97 ₺2,205

82.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.97 SAR 131

$18.08 ₺831

93.42%

Cinema Ticket

$18.59 SAR 69.8

$7.80 ₺358

138.33%

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

$404 SAR 1,518

$447 ₺20.5K

-9.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,604 SAR 17.3K

$12.6K ₺578.6K

-63.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 SAR 84.5

$51.9 ₺2,383

-56.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 SAR 235

$35.96 ₺1,653

73.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.8 SAR 221

$92.0 ₺4,228

-36.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 SAR 192

$113 ₺5,209

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 SAR 868

$643 ₺29.5K

-64.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,059

$462 ₺21.2K

-38.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 SAR 2,510

$1,096 ₺50.4K

-38.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 SAR 3,851

$739 ₺34.0K

38.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,512 SAR 24.4K

$1,550 ₺71.2K

320.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,238 SAR 8,400

$1,080 ₺49.6K

107.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 SAR 4,035

$1,148 ₺52.8K

-6.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

39.1

-85.93%

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

Last update for Mecca: May 31, 2026

Last update for Izmir: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Mecca and $643 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: $40.00 in Mecca vs $37.00 in Izmir. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $267, with Mecca cheaper for home cooking.

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 16% 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, Izmir earns 7% 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 $643 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,065 per month in Mecca versus $1,235 in Izmir – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mecca runs roughly 29% less than in Izmir. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,065 in Mecca versus $1,235 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 $1,065 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 16% less than in Izmir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.