FX.co ★ World’s most expensive buildings

Masjid al-Haram (Saudi Arabia)

Currently, the most expensive building is Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world. It is located in the holy city of Mecca, the main pilgrimage destination for Muslims from all over the world. The Great Mosque of Mecca occupies an area of 1.5 million square meters and can accommodate almost 2 million people inside its walls. However, this was not always the case: in 2015, King Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz al-Saud decided to significantly expand the mosque, which was originally built in 638. The media reported that about $62 billion was allocated by the Saudi monarch for the project.

Abraj Al Bait (Saudi Arabia)

The second most expensive building in the world is the Abraj Al Bait, a skyscraper complex that is also located in Mecca. It consists of 7 towers, the largest of which is the 120-story Makkah Clock Royal Tower. The complex contains hotels that can house more than 100,000 pilgrims, as well as restaurants and a shopping mall. Its construction began in 2004 and lasted for more than 8 years. According to CNN, Saudi Arabia spent $15 billion on the project.

Marina Bay Sands (Singapore)

The Marina Bay Sands hotel complex in Singapore was opened in 2010. It is considered to be the main architectural landmark of the city-state. Marina Bay Sands is comprised of 3 towers that are connected with a 340 meter skypark which also houses the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool. The towers have more than 2,000 hotel rooms, several restaurants, a theater, a casino, and the city’s biggest night club. The construction of the hotel complex cost the Singapore division of US resort and casino company Las Vegas Sands about $8 billion.

SoFi (USA)

The SoFi Stadium is the home arena of two major NFL teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. It was opened in Inglewood, California in 2020. The stadium has a seating capacity of more than 70,000 people. Notably, its football field is located about 30 meters below ground. Another key feature of the arena is the enormous circle-shaped video screen suspended above the field, which is larger than the football field itself. The construction of the SoFi Stadium was financed by US businessman Stan Kroenke, who spent about $5 billion on the project. Kroenke is the husband of Ann Walton Kroenke, the heiress to the Walmart retail empire.

Apple Park (USA)

The corporate headquarters of Apple in Cupertino, California is considered by many to be the most impressive office campus in the world. The complex consists of several buildings and occupies about 200,000 square meters. Besides the main building, which resembles a spaceship, Apple Park also houses an R&D facility, an auditorium named after the corporation's founder Steve Jobs, several cafes, a wellness center for employees, and a visitor center for tourists. Constructing the office campus cost Apple about $5 billion.

Wynn Palace (China)

The Wynn Palace hotel and casino is located in Macau, China, the city which is often called the Las Vegas of Asia. Its construction took 6 years, with the US company Wynn Resorts spending $4.2 billion on the project. Today the resort complex contains a 28-story hotel with more than 1,500 luxurious rooms, several casinos, restaurants, boutiques, and a spa. Wynn Palace is famous for hosting the Performance Lake fountain show, and it also houses a rich art collection by the world's greatest artists.

Cosmopolitan (USA)

The Cosmopolitan business center was opened in 2010. Located in the heart of Las Vegas, it houses a 5-star hotel with 3,000 rooms, more than 20 restaurants, a 9,000 square meter casino, the best night club in the city, a 3,200-seat cinema, 3 swimming pools, a luxury spa, and a massive convention center. The complex consists of two 184-meter skyscrapers. The construction of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas took more than 5 years and cost about $4 billion.