Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca

😐 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 37.6% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 71.9% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Riyadh is 42.6% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 16.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.14 SAR 30.53
$4.68 SAR 17.56
73.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 SAR 202
$39.49 SAR 148
36.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.79 SAR 29.21
$9.10 SAR 34.14
-14.40%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 SAR 6.54
$1.58 SAR 5.94
10.13%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 SAR 8.31
$1.54 SAR 5.76
44.16%
Cappuccino
$4.09 SAR 15.33
$3.15 SAR 11.83
29.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 SAR 2.72
$0.87 SAR 3.28
-17.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.08
$0.31 SAR 1.16
-6.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 SAR 6.39
$1.73 SAR 6.50
-1.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 SAR 4.97
$0.83 SAR 3.10
59.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 SAR 8.80
$2.22 SAR 8.33
5.86%
Eggs
$2.64 SAR 9.91
$2.87 SAR 10.77
-8.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.29 SAR 31.09
$6.83 SAR 25.61
21.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.17 SAR 38.13
$8.26 SAR 30.97
23.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 SAR 55.1
$13.15 SAR 49.31
11.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 SAR 8.43
$2.41 SAR 9.04
-6.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 SAR 6.27
$1.54 SAR 5.77
8.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 SAR 6.77
$1.87 SAR 6.99
-3.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.91
$2.12 SAR 7.95
-25.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 SAR 4.61
$1.20 SAR 4.49
2.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SAR 5.66
$1.26 SAR 4.71
19.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 SAR 5.37
$1.08 SAR 4.06
32.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 SAR 2.07
$0.65 SAR 2.45
-15.38%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$7.88 SAR 29.54
$3.80 SAR 14.26
107.37%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 SAR 6.69
$1.97 SAR 7.40
-9.64%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 SAR 8.73
$2.09 SAR 7.84
11.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.55 SAR 28.31
$7.75 SAR 29.08
-2.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.11
$1.30 SAR 4.86
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.55 SAR 137
$40.62 SAR 152
-10.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 SAR 11.71
$2.34 SAR 8.76
33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 SAR 7.14
$1.86 SAR 6.97
2.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.42 SAR 50.3
$10.87 SAR 40.77
23.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SAR 2.24
$0.65 SAR 2.43
-7.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K SAR 131.3K
$26.9K SAR 100.9K
30.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K SAR 88.2K
$21.0K SAR 78.9K
11.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 SAR 398
$76.0 SAR 285
39.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.52 SAR 133
$35.39 SAR 133
0.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.2 SAR 286
$67.0 SAR 251
13.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 SAR 392
$85.1 SAR 319
22.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$59.4 SAR 223
$34.50 SAR 129
72.29%
Cinema Ticket
$15.71 SAR 58.9
$19.00 SAR 71.2
-17.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 SAR 1,698
$401 SAR 1,504
12.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,659 SAR 36.2K
$4,678 SAR 17.5K
106.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6 SAR 220
$23.10 SAR 86.6
153.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.7 SAR 246
$63.4 SAR 238
3.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SAR 409
$58.8 SAR 220
85.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.7 SAR 366
$49.79 SAR 187
96.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,082 SAR 4,057
$228 SAR 856
373.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$859 SAR 3,222
$283 SAR 1,060
204.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,019 SAR 7,571
$668 SAR 2,505
202.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 SAR 4,203
$1,059 SAR 3,971
5.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,951 SAR 11.1K
$6,191 SAR 23.2K
-52.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,882 SAR 7,057
$2,290 SAR 8,586
-17.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,289 SAR 8,584
$1,080 SAR 4,049
112.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.31
5.5
-3.45%

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

Last update for Riyadh: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mecca: April 13, 2026

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

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