While Muslims worldwide would love the opportunity to make Umrah, money is often a major obstacle for many.
The main expenses to consider are:
- Visas
- Flights
- Hotels
- Transportation
- Food
If you decide to go to Madinah, that will add to your expenses. But for the sake of this example, we’ll assume you want all expenses to be as low as possible and therefore only want to go to Makkah for Umrah.
Visas
Before anything, we need to make sure that you’re allowed to enter the country in the first place. Some countries are allowed to apply online for an eVisa for about $120 (USD), while others have to go through an Umrah agency to get a visa.
If you’re able to apply by yourself, it’s best to do so. Otherwise, if you’re forced to go through an agency, weigh your options.
Flights
Flights can make or break your bank account depending on how far you are from Saudi Arabia. The time of the year is important to consider when booking a flight. If you’re trying to go during Ramadan, Hajj season, or common holidays like winter break, flight expenses are likely to be much higher since that’s when many people are going. Instead, try to book a time of the year when not as many people go for Umrah, such as Safar, Rabee’ al-Awwal, and Shawwaal. It’s also important to note that weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends.
Hotels
The time of year is also a huge factor in how expensive the hotels in Makkah are. Since you’re trying to get the cheapest hotel possible, you’ll want to look for hotels about 15+ minutes walking distance from the Haram. Checking booking.com and Airbnb are usually good sources to find the cheapest hotels. You can find rooms for as low as $25 a night.
Avoiding Hotels
You may even want to avoid a hotel altogether. In that case, you’d book your flights so that you leave the day after you arrive, and you make sure that you pack very lightly. Aside from the Ihram, one or two changes of clothes, toiletries, and documents (passport, etc.) should suffice.
Once you arrive, you can go to one of the hotels and pay one of the workers to keep your belongings for you, and make sure to get their contact info. Go perform Umrah, come back to that hotel, and change. Some of the bathrooms near the Haram have showers, although they’re not the cleanest. And then you can sleep in the Haram. You might get interrupted by the guards saying it’s not allowed to sleep in the Masjid. You can also check into the airport extra early, assuming you’ve booked your return flight close to your arrival flight, and then sleep in the airport.
Transportation
You’ll want to have an extra 150-200 riyals for transportation to and from the airport. Many taxis are usually waiting at the airport, trying to find people to take to the Haram. They will usually charge a lot, though, and unless you’re able to haggle with them, you’re probably better off getting an Uber or Careem, which are often surprisingly cheaper. They also won’t haggle with you over price or take you to a car they have parked far away. They come exactly to the location you specify, take you to your location, and ask for the price determined by the app.
Food
Assuming you’ll only be there for a day or a few days, you’ll probably want an extra 100 to 150 riyals for food. Of course, different people have different tastes, but 150 riyals should cover all of your food and drink for a few days.
Note that Zamzam water is offered for free in the Haram as well, so if you really want to cut costs as low as possible, you can drink for free from the Haram, and then every meal can be bread and yogurt from one of the local shops for less than 5 riyals.
Don’t forget that while you’re trying to make this Umrah as cheap as possible, you also want to make sure you’re making the most of your Umrah trip. Having the comfort of a good hotel, good food, etc., can make it easier to focus on Ibaadah, so be extra careful to make the most of your time.