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: $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,266 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 10% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 SAR 24.50

$13.07 MX$229

-50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.75 SAR 164

$53.8 MX$943

-18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 SAR 29.72

$9.68 MX$170

-18.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.92

$3.74 MX$65.6

-0.80%

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

$0.80 SAR 2.99

$1.62 MX$28.34

-50.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$1.16 MX$20.37

-73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.65 MX$28.89

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$2.75 MX$48.30

-62.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$1.87 MX$32.87

24.06%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.05

$2.50 MX$43.86

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SAR 26.24

$10.20 MX$179

-31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 SAR 28.48

$8.25 MX$145

-8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 SAR 48.23

$11.82 MX$207

8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$3.01 MX$52.8

-24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.22

$1.81 MX$31.77

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.00 MX$35.07

-13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$2.00 MX$35.00

-21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$2.08 MX$36.56

-40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$2.27 MX$39.85

-43.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.46 MX$25.55

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.08 MX$18.88

-49.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.36

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SAR 25.76

$4.35 MX$76.3

57.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.39 MX$6.79

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.56 SAR 149

$18.69 MX$328

111.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$1.33 MX$23.25

95.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$0.28 MX$4.91

575.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$5.25 MX$92.1

155.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.34 MX$23.44

-55.22%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

36.62%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-6.52%

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

$105 SAR 393

$40.69 MX$714

157.11%

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

$33.27 SAR 125

$26.87 MX$471

23.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 SAR 269

$30.51 MX$535

134.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 SAR 334

$52.8 MX$926

68.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 SAR 134

$26.65 MX$467

33.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 SAR 57.8

$6.51 MX$114

136.56%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$428 MX$7,508

-18.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,026 SAR 26.4K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-33.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 SAR 219

$57.3 MX$1,004

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SAR 228

$45.50 MX$798

33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$104 MX$1,825

-25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$108 MX$1,891

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 SAR 1,619

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-57.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,451

$623 MX$10.9K

-37.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,187

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-59.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 SAR 2,317

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-49.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 SAR 9,441

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-35.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,367 SAR 5,135

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-32.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Al-hawiyah and $1,003 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 $197 vs $292 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $1,456 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,805 in Al-hawiyah and $2,185 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: $431 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,003 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 $1,204 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,456 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 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.