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: $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,774 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,375 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 15% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$12.11 MX$206

-44.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.01 SAR 139

$52.2 MX$887

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 SAR 29.45

$10.90 MX$185

-28.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Cappuccino

$3.43 SAR 12.87

$4.05 MX$68.8

-15.31%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.06

$1.72 MX$29.13

-52.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.38 MX$23.40

-82.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.85 MX$31.48

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.81

$3.22 MX$54.7

-68.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$2.09 MX$35.42

1.91%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.76

$2.91 MX$49.41

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 SAR 28.23

$12.49 MX$212

-39.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 SAR 29.48

$10.11 MX$172

-22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.92

$15.89 MX$270

-18.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.03

$3.31 MX$56.3

-35.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$2.13 MX$36.12

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$2.19 MX$37.20

-27.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$2.45 MX$41.57

-34.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.31

$2.19 MX$37.18

-47.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$1.90 MX$32.35

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$1.62 MX$27.44

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.35 MX$22.92

-56.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$5.43 MX$92.1

19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.34 MX$5.77

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.32 SAR 133

$21.58 MX$366

63.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 SAR 11.15

$2.04 MX$34.65

45.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$0.58 MX$9.82

206.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.33

$5.97 MX$101

120.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.62 MX$27.44

-59.88%

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

$44.6K SAR 167.6K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

95.68%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-20.15%

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

$103 SAR 387

$65.2 MX$1,108

57.79%

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

$32.87 SAR 123

$29.87 MX$507

10.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 SAR 245

$36.55 MX$621

78.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 310

$61.0 MX$1,036

35.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 SAR 141

$26.70 MX$453

40.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$6.85 MX$116

95.91%

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

$347 SAR 1,303

$453 MX$7,700

-23.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,759 SAR 25.4K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-49.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 SAR 187

$75.0 MX$1,273

-33.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 SAR 223

$55.3 MX$939

7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 SAR 367

$114 MX$1,929

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$123 MX$2,083

-29.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,149

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$712 MX$12.1K

-51.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 SAR 3,306

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-65.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 SAR 2,067

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 SAR 8,667

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-42.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 SAR 5,210

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-33.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

11.3

-51.59%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Al-hawiyah and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $345 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,172 vs $1,646 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,759 in Al-hawiyah and $2,469 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: $572 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,134 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 $37.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,172 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,646 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.