Excluding accommodation and food prices, how expensive is a trip to Mecca for a Hajj? Are there ticket/entry fees?

Hello!

My wife and I are planning a visit to the Vatican and, while she was buying the tickets, she baulked at the prices. Suffice to say they certainly do their best to make a healthy profit out of every tourist/pilgrim.

So this got me interested in seeking a comparison: How much money do the Saudi authorities in Mecca try to make from the Hajji pilgrims? Is it considered sacrilegious within Islam to turn pilgrimage into a profit-making exercise? Do people get fleeced or are prices quite reasonable/entry free?

I ask as a non-Muslim who knows nothing about the Hajj; I just wanted to know if it's only the Catholics that seem to be monetising pilgrimages. Since the Hajj is something every Muslim is required to go on, it would strike me as quite unreasonable if it were a costly endeavour.

Thanks!

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