Makkah and Madinah Daily Costs: How Much Extra Money to Budget During Hajj 2026

Last updated: May 18, 2026

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9 Dhul-Hijjah 1447 · Day of Arafat

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Let’s say your Hajj package covers flights, hotels and meals, do you still need to carry extra money for the trip? How much?

Here is exactly what to budget for, day by day, in Makkah and Madinah during the 2026 season.

Table of Contents

How much extra money to bring – an overview

Most pilgrims should plan for SAR 35 to SAR 100 per person, per day in personal spending, on top of the Adahi voucher and one-off gift money.

Treat around SAR 35 per day as a bare minimum for food and drink purchases outside what the package provides.

For a typical 14-day package, that works out to a realistic extra budget broken down as follows:

Item	Cost
Adahi sacrifice voucher (one-time, Tamattu’ or Qiran Hajj)	SAR 720
Daily food, water and snacks (SAR 35–80 × 14 days)	SAR 490–1,120
Local transport in Makkah and Madinah	SAR 200–500
SIM card or eSIM (one-time)	SAR 85–225
Tips for porters, housekeeping and drivers	SAR 150–300
Gifts, dates, prayer items and Zamzam	SAR 500–2,000
Buffer for medical co-pays and emergencies	SAR 200–500
Total per pilgrim	SAR 2,200–5,500 (USD 600–1,500)

Carry the bulk of this on a card you can use in Saudi Arabia, but keep at least SAR 500 in small notes (1, 5, 10 and 20 SAR) for tips and street-level purchases.

Adahi expense may not be in your package

The single biggest extra cost many Hajj pilgrims must pay separately is the Adahi (Hady) voucher, the official sacrifice you delegate to the Saudi government’s licensed programme. For Hajj 1447 AH / 2026, the price is fixed at SAR 720 per voucher.

Adahi Voucher for Hajj 2026: Who Needs It, When to Buy It, and Official Price

Every pilgrim performing Tamattu’ or Qiran Hajj must offer one sacrifice, so the SAR 720 typically applies per person, not per family. A family of four pilgrims should plan for around SAR 2,880 just for Adahi.

The voucher is sold at a unified price across every approved channel listed by the Adahi project, including:

The official adahi.org website (accepts Mada, Sadad and major international cards)
Saudi banks via ATM, online banking or mobile banking apps
Saudi Post (SPL) branches across the Kingdom
Authorised on-site outlets in Makkah and Mina

Some premium packages bundle the Adahi into the total price, so check your contract before paying again.

If it is not listed line by line in your invoice, assume you will pay the SAR 720 separately once you arrive.

Daily food, drinks and local transport

Your hotel buffet covers the basics, but most pilgrims end up spending SAR 40–80 a day on snacks, takeaway meals, bottled water and the occasional restaurant visit. It is still practical to plan for personal food spending even on full-board packages, because meal times rarely match prayer schedules or your Tawaf timings.

Typical food prices around the Haram in 2026:

Al Baik combo (the pilgrim favourite): SAR 18–35
Fast food at McDonald’s, KFC or Albeit Sweet: SAR 20–40
Sit-down restaurant meal: SAR 30–60 per person
Local grocery essentials (laban, Arabic bread, dates): under SAR 15 for a meal
1.5L bottled water: SAR 2–4 from supermarkets, SAR 5–8 in convenience kiosks

Inside the Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi, Zamzam water is free and unlimited, so a refillable bottle saves a meaningful amount over a two-week trip.

Getting around Makkah and Madinah on your own

Most packages include group bus transfers between holy sites, but you will still pay for any independent trips.

The Makkah Bus network is the cheapest option at SAR 4 for a standard one-way fare, or SAR 8 for the 7A shuttle route.

For taxis, expect SAR 15–40 inside Makkah and Madinah for short hops. The Careem and Uber apps both operate in both cities and accept international cards.

If you travel between Makkah and Madinah outside your package’s group transfer, the Haramain High Speed Rail charges roughly SAR 120–315 per person depending on class and date.

A private taxi for the same route costs SAR 400–800 for the whole car.

SIM cards, tips and the small costs

A local SIM or eSIM is essential — your group will need to contact you, and Nusuk-linked apps work best with a Saudi number. STC, Mobily and Zain all sell dedicated pilgrim plans starting from around SAR 85 for 5–55 GB of data.

Tourist eSIMs from providers like Holafly, Airalo and Saily are an alternative for around USD 15–60 for a two-week plan, and you can activate them before you land in Jeddah.

Tipping in Saudi Arabia during Hajj

Saudi Arabia is not a strict tipping culture, but porters, housekeeping staff and drivers genuinely appreciate small notes — especially during Hajj when workloads spike. The prevailing 2026 guidance from etiquette guides and Singapore and Malaysian Hajj missions is:

Hotel porter: SAR 5–10 per bag
Housekeeping: SAR 5–10 per room per night, left in cash with a short note
Taxi or Careem driver: Round up the fare, or add SAR 5–10 for help with bags
Mina or Arafat tent staff: SAR 10–20 if they go above and beyond
Concierge or hotel guide: SAR 10–30 for special assistance

Always tip in Saudi Riyals — foreign currency cannot easily be exchanged by hotel staff or porters.

Medical and emergency buffer

Every Hajj visa now includes mandatory health insurance through the Council of Health Insurance (CHI), covering emergencies, accidents and hospital admissions. Routine consultations, regular medication refills and elective care are not covered, so keep around SAR 200–500 aside for pharmacy purchases and minor private clinic visits.

The Ministry of Health runs free emergency clinics around the holy sites, but anything non-urgent — blister care, anti-inflammatories, electrolyte sachets, a new pair of slippers — comes out of your pocket.

Gifts and Zamzam water

Most pilgrims spend more on gifts than on any other personal category, often SAR 500–2,000 per person. Souqs like Souq Al-Otaibiah in Makkah and the markets around Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah sell prayer beads, prayer mats, perfumes, abayas and dates at every price point.

Typical 2026 prices to plan around:

Prayer beads (misbaha): from SAR 1 for plastic, SAR 30–120 for wood, agate or crystal
Saudi dates (Ajwa, Safawi, Sukkari): SAR 50–60 per kg for Safawi; Ajwa SAR 80–200 per kg
Abayas and thobes: SAR 80–300 in budget markets, higher in malls
Oud and attar perfumes: SAR 30–500+ depending on quality
Prayer mats: SAR 30–150

For the journey home, you can carry one free 5-litre Zamzam container on most pilgrim-route airlines including Saudia, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, flydubai, PIA, Biman, Garuda and Air India, as confirmed in Wego’s Zamzam guide.

The official sealed bottle is sold at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah for around SAR 12 per passenger, exclusively for travellers with a valid Hajj or Umrah visa.

The 5-litre allowance is strict and additional bottles will be removed at security.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use credit and debit cards everywhere in Makkah and Madinah?

Yes for most hotels, supermarkets and large shops. Smaller stalls, taxis and tip recipients prefer cash, so carry a mix — most pilgrims keep SAR 500 in small notes plus a Mada-compatible or international card.

Is Adahi (the SAR 720 sacrifice) included in my Hajj package?

Usually not. Most economy and standard packages exclude it — check your invoice for an “Adahi” or “Hady” line item, and budget SAR 720 per pilgrim if it is missing.

How much cash should I carry on the day of Arafat?

Around SAR 100 in small notes is plenty. Most needs in Mina and Arafat are covered by your package, so the cash is mainly for snacks, water top-ups outside Zamzam stations and small tips.

Do I need a separate travel insurance policy on top of the Hajj visa insurance?

Strongly recommended for pilgrims over 60 or with chronic conditions. The mandatory CHI policy covers emergencies only, so top-up cover for routine care, medication and trip interruption is worth budgeting separately.

Can I bring more than 5 litres of Zamzam water home?

No — the 5-litre allowance is strictly enforced. Additional Zamzam bottles will be removed at security in Jeddah and Madinah airports, so plan gifts around dates and other souvenirs instead.