Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,542 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 9% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$13.18 MX$228

-48.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.30 SAR 166

$53.9 MX$932

-17.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 SAR 29.27

$9.42 MX$163

-17.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.61 SAR 13.54

$3.55 MX$61.4

1.69%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$1.62 MX$27.98

-50.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$1.11 MX$19.27

-73.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.70 MX$29.43

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$2.72 MX$47.02

-64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$1.91 MX$33.07

18.85%

Eggs

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$2.54 MX$43.86

-4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 SAR 25.27

$10.03 MX$174

-32.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 SAR 28.55

$8.09 MX$140

-5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 SAR 49.00

$11.62 MX$201

12.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$2.97 MX$51.3

-22.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.81 MX$31.24

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.01 MX$34.82

-15.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$2.03 MX$35.20

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$2.12 MX$36.75

-39.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.75

$2.27 MX$39.25

-44.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$1.40 MX$24.22

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$1.13 MX$19.55

-51.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SAR 25.88

$4.27 MX$73.9

61.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.38 MX$6.62

176.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.44 SAR 152

$19.18 MX$332

110.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.02

$1.38 MX$23.79

93.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$0.28 MX$4.78

578.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 SAR 50.1

$5.45 MX$94.2

144.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.30 MX$22.55

-50.00%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

42.44%

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

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-4.24%

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

$106 SAR 397

$40.86 MX$707

158.69%

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

$34.27 SAR 129

$26.81 MX$464

27.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 SAR 277

$29.96 MX$518

145.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$52.0 MX$900

66.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$26.84 MX$464

34.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 SAR 59.9

$6.30 MX$109

153.33%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$436 MX$7,544

-19.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-33.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$56.7 MX$980

4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 SAR 231

$44.38 MX$768

38.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$103 MX$1,780

-24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$106 MX$1,825

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,627

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-57.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,405

$631 MX$10.9K

-40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,252

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-59.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SAR 2,346

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-49.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,091 SAR 7,846

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-46.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 SAR 4,390

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-43.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.34

-61.02%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Al-hawiyah and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $288 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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

Al-hawiyah vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Mexico City differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $1,467 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Al-hawiyah and $2,201 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah 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.