Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,405 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al Khobar and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Al Khobar $1,405
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Al Khobar versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Al Khobar $2,186
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Al Khobar versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Al Khobar $2,967
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Al Khobar costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Khobar 4% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$10.75 MX$199

-39.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 SAR 222

$50.3 MX$929

17.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.50

$11.10 MX$205

-29.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

Cappuccino

$4.48 SAR 16.79

$3.68 MX$68.1

21.74%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$1.65 MX$30.42

-47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$1.30 MX$24.08

-70.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.77 MX$32.68

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$3.05 MX$56.4

-58.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.01 MX$37.20

22.39%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$2.77 MX$51.1

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.84

$11.91 MX$220

-39.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 SAR 38.43

$9.33 MX$172

9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$15.02 MX$278

-22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$3.08 MX$56.8

-14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.95 MX$35.97

-9.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$2.03 MX$37.54

-2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$2.21 MX$40.92

-19.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$2.02 MX$37.41

-32.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.82 MX$33.67

-8.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.52 MX$28.07

9.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$1.28 MX$23.65

-58.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 SAR 25.00

$5.27 MX$97.4

26.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 SAR 2.75

$0.31 MX$5.82

135.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

$19.85 MX$367

238.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.14

$2.00 MX$36.93

61.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$0.53 MX$9.86

413.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$5.62 MX$104

15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.52 MX$28.07

-58.55%

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

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

214.99%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-10.51%

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

$99.6 SAR 374

$62.5 MX$1,155

59.34%

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

$33.32 SAR 125

$28.77 MX$532

15.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 265

$34.45 MX$637

104.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 SAR 308

$57.1 MX$1,055

43.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

$24.81 MX$458

50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$6.67 MX$123

125.94%

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

$589 SAR 2,210

$431 MX$7,964

36.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-27.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 SAR 233

$70.8 MX$1,308

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 312

$51.8 MX$958

60.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$109 MX$2,011

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 SAR 352

$112 MX$2,076

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SAR 2,363

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,873

$665 MX$12.3K

-24.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-29.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-32.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-26.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

$975 MX$18.0K

87.68%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$499 35.5%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 33.2% $166

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 15.5%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 48.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$203 14.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 38.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.8%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 2.3% $3.5

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$135 9.6%

Mexico City

$203 13% 50.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 8%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 37.2% $42

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 70.4% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Al Khobar and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $323, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

18:16 6:16 PM

9 h behind Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Mexico City 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Khobar
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 12% 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 88% 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: $630 in Al Khobar versus $1,051 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 239% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $589 in Al Khobar versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $1,567 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 $1,405 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 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.