Saudi Arabia, Mecca

Country Full Name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Location: Saudi Arabia is in the Middle East, bordering the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen.

Country Climate: Harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes.

Country Terrain: Mostly uninhabited, sandy desert.

Major Languages: Arabic.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 2.5 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; roughly 75% of budget revenues and 90% of export earnings come from the oil industry.

Currency: Saudi Riyal (SAR). Make an international currency transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Inflation: 5.2% (2011 est.).

Mecca is the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in Islam and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory upon all able Muslims.

Mecca's economy has been heavily dependent on the annual pilgrimage. Nevertheless, many industries have been set up in Mecca.

The cost of living in Mecca in Saudi Arabia is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Mecca in Saudi Arabia is currently ranked 753 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 735 places that are more expensive, and 44 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 768 places that are more expensive, and 11 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 365 places that are more expensive, and 414 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 418 places that are more expensive, and 361 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very low compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 771 places that are more expensive, and 8 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 755 places that are more expensive, and 24 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 658 places that are more expensive, and 121 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 376 places that are more expensive, and 403 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 595 places that are more expensive, and 184 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 561 places that are more expensive, and 218 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 590 places that are more expensive, and 189 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 596 places that are more expensive, and 183 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 775 places that are more expensive, and 4 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Mecca in Saudi Arabia are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Mecca in Saudi Arabia is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Mecca in Saudi Arabia are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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