Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca and in Riyadh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $1,738 in Riyadh.

Mecca $936
Riyadh $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $2,567 in Riyadh.

Mecca $1,453
Riyadh $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $3,396 in Riyadh.

Mecca $1,970
Riyadh $3,396

Living in Mecca costs roughly 46% less than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mecca is 31% below, Riyadh is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$8.09 SAR 30.35

-43.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$66.3 SAR 249

-59.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$8.16 SAR 30.64

-13.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-25.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$2.98 SAR 11.19

-50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$4.25 SAR 15.96

-38.59%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-26.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.32 SAR 1.20

-28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-13.17%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-19.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$10.69 SAR 40.11

-44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$9.44 SAR 35.41

-14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$15.19 SAR 57.0

-14.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.84 SAR 10.65

-26.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.53 SAR 9.51

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-13.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.18 SAR 4.44

-5.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.28 SAR 4.81

1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.57 SAR 2.12

-12.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

$7.83 SAR 29.38

-48.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.80 SAR 6.77

2.78%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$2.39 SAR 8.95

-33.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$7.50 SAR 28.15

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$1.07 SAR 4.03

25.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.34 SAR 140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.81 SAR 6.79

-3.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$13.23 SAR 49.66

-0.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.65 SAR 2.44

-3.08%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$34.7K SAR 130.1K

37.01%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

-7.65%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$106 SAR 396

-36.63%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$29.61 SAR 111

19.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$70.7 SAR 265

-10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$91.6 SAR 344

-11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$56.9 SAR 214

-25.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$13.09 SAR 49.11

-8.63%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$523 SAR 1,963

48.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

58.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$58.8 SAR 221

-76.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$53.1 SAR 199

7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$101 SAR 379

-60.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$103 SAR 386

-48.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$1,179 SAR 4,425

-54.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$832 SAR 3,122

-65.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$2,227 SAR 8,359

-62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$1,224 SAR 4,595

-57.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$2,996 SAR 11.2K

112.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$1,913 SAR 7,177

20.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$2,067 SAR 7,757

-47.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.54

-5.23%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Riyadh

$832 47.9% 187% $542

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 25% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Riyadh

$206 11.8% 24.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 12.5% $13

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 56.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Riyadh

$142 8.2% 93.2% $69

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 225% $37

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 $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 91% 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 $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $242 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

Same time as Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mecca Riyadh 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Riyadh. 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 $1,179 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Riyadh. 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 $1,738 in Riyadh – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,738 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mecca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Riyadh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mecca and Riyadh 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 86% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.