Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Ad Dammam versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Ad Dammam versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Ad Dammam versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Ad Dammam costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ad Dammam is 9% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 SAR 27.99

$13.07 MX$229

-43.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$53.8 MX$940

-1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$9.68 MX$169

-18.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Cappuccino

$3.55 SAR 13.34

$3.74 MX$65.4

-5.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$1.62 MX$28.25

-43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$1.16 MX$20.31

-67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.65 MX$28.80

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 SAR 5.32

$2.75 MX$48.15

-48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$1.87 MX$32.77

13.37%

Eggs

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$2.50 MX$43.72

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.99 SAR 22.48

$10.20 MX$178

-41.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 SAR 27.49

$8.25 MX$144

-11.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 SAR 37.81

$11.82 MX$207

-14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

$3.01 MX$52.6

-30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.81 MX$31.67

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.23

$2.00 MX$34.96

-30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$2.00 MX$34.89

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$2.08 MX$36.45

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.15

$2.27 MX$39.72

-39.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$1.46 MX$25.47

-11.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$1.08 MX$18.82

-49.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.12 SAR 15.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 SAR 29.14

$4.35 MX$76.0

78.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 SAR 3.51

$0.39 MX$6.77

141.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 SAR 148

$18.69 MX$327

110.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 SAR 12.42

$1.33 MX$23.18

148.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.26

$0.28 MX$4.89

875.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.58 SAR 51.0

$5.25 MX$91.8

158.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.34 MX$23.37

-54.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

14.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.9K SAR 78.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-12.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$118 SAR 444

$40.69 MX$712

190.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.60 SAR 145

$26.87 MX$470

43.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 SAR 238

$30.51 MX$534

107.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 SAR 266

$52.8 MX$923

34.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.89 SAR 116

$26.65 MX$466

15.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 SAR 57.5

$6.51 MX$114

135.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$427 SAR 1,602

$428 MX$7,485

-0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,216 SAR 30.9K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-21.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 SAR 255

$57.3 MX$1,001

18.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.8 SAR 255

$45.50 MX$796

49.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 SAR 340

$104 MX$1,819

-13.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 SAR 323

$108 MX$1,885

-20.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 SAR 1,697

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 SAR 1,413

$623 MX$10.9K

-39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 SAR 2,976

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 SAR 2,388

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-47.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 SAR 4,956

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-66.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$812 SAR 3,051

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-60.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 SAR 5,640

$1,038 MX$18.1K

44.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

11.34

-61.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ad Dammam: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Ad Dammam and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Ad Dammam vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $292 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ad Dammam vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Ad Dammam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $452 in Ad Dammam versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 110% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,211 in Ad Dammam versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ad Dammam and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.