Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,402 in Al Khobar versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,205 in Al Khobar versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,008 in Al Khobar versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 2% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.53

$12.11 MX$206

-46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 SAR 225

$52.2 MX$887

14.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.18

$10.90 MX$185

-28.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SAR 10.00

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SAR 10.15

Cappuccino

$4.49 SAR 16.88

$4.05 MX$68.8

10.86%

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

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$1.72 MX$29.13

-47.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SAR 1.53

$1.38 MX$23.40

-70.29%

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)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.85 MX$31.48

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$3.22 MX$54.7

-60.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.09 MX$35.42

17.70%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.91 MX$49.41

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 SAR 26.95

$12.49 MX$212

-42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 SAR 37.21

$10.11 MX$172

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 SAR 43.59

$15.89 MX$270

-26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 SAR 10.01

$3.31 MX$56.3

-19.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$2.13 MX$36.12

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 SAR 7.70

$2.19 MX$37.20

-6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$2.45 MX$41.57

-25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.23

$2.19 MX$37.18

-36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.90 MX$32.35

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.62 MX$27.44

1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.15

$1.35 MX$22.92

-57.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.74

$5.43 MX$92.1

21.36%

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)

$0.78 SAR 2.95

$0.34 MX$5.77

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 SAR 253

$21.58 MX$366

211.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$2.04 MX$34.65

59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

$0.58 MX$9.82

367.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 SAR 25.57

$5.97 MX$101

14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.62 MX$27.44

-61.11%

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

$65.6K SAR 246.2K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

187.43%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.2K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-17.87%

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

$98.6 SAR 370

$65.2 MX$1,108

51.09%

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

$32.61 SAR 122

$29.87 MX$507

9.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 SAR 264

$36.55 MX$621

92.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.9 SAR 300

$61.0 MX$1,036

30.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.21 SAR 136

$26.70 MX$453

35.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 SAR 56.9

$6.85 MX$116

121.17%

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

$600 SAR 2,253

$453 MX$7,700

32.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,271 SAR 31.1K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-38.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 SAR 238

$75.0 MX$1,273

-15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.4 SAR 306

$55.3 MX$939

47.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SAR 366

$114 MX$1,929

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 SAR 347

$123 MX$2,083

-24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,328

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-45.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,872

$712 MX$12.1K

-30.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 SAR 4,445

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-53.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 SAR 3,180

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-35.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,054

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 SAR 5,342

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-32.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,843 SAR 6,920

$1,047 MX$17.8K

76.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

11.3

-47.96%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $620 in Al Khobar and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Al Khobar vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $345, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Khobar vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Al Khobar, 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: $620 in Al Khobar versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 212% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $600 in Al Khobar versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,402 in Al Khobar versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,402 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar 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 Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.