Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Ar-rass versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,235 in Ar-rass versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 19% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 SAR 25.15

$11.92 MX$205

-43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.74 SAR 142

$51.6 MX$889

-26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$11.41 MX$197

-31.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cappuccino

$3.36 SAR 12.63

$3.99 MX$68.8

-15.79%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$1.66 MX$28.57

-51.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.33 MX$22.84

-81.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

$1.88 MX$32.31

-3.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SAR 1.55

$3.25 MX$56.0

-87.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.14

$2.16 MX$37.21

-12.04%

Eggs

$3.68 SAR 13.82

$2.90 MX$49.87

26.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 SAR 26.40

$12.86 MX$221

-45.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 SAR 30.65

$10.05 MX$173

-18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.27

$15.86 MX$273

-17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$3.29 MX$56.7

-36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

$2.01 MX$34.55

-11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$2.20 MX$37.88

-29.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.36 MX$40.57

-31.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$2.05 MX$35.38

-43.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$1.90 MX$32.75

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.61 MX$27.64

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$1.40 MX$24.05

-60.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.90 SAR 29.67

$5.46 MX$94.1

44.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 SAR 4.57

$0.34 MX$5.83

258.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.86 SAR 135

$20.81 MX$358

72.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 SAR 11.11

$2.10 MX$36.11

40.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SAR 5.78

$0.56 MX$9.63

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.37 SAR 42.69

$5.81 MX$100

95.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.61 MX$27.65

-60.25%

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

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

$22.8K MX$393.3K

105.87%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$26.8K MX$460.6K

-20.51%

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

$88.2 SAR 331

$65.2 MX$1,122

35.36%

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

$24.45 SAR 91.8

$30.09 MX$518

-18.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$37.18 MX$640

61.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.03 SAR 165

$59.8 MX$1,029

-26.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.53 SAR 152

$26.55 MX$457

52.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 SAR 49.14

$7.04 MX$121

85.80%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$465 MX$8,001

-24.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

$13.3K MX$228.6K

-44.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$75.9 MX$1,307

-33.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 SAR 219

$56.0 MX$963

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 SAR 357

$112 MX$1,926

-15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 SAR 359

$121 MX$2,075

-20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 SAR 2,177

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 SAR 1,273

$721 MX$12.4K

-52.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,433

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-84.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 SAR 2,220

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-54.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

$3,991 MX$68.7K

-32.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 SAR 4,793

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-38.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,706 SAR 6,407

$1,037 MX$17.9K

64.44%

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 Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Ar-rass and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Ar-rass vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $345 per month, with Ar-rass 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

Ar-rass vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Mexico City differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,660 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $580 in Ar-rass versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.