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: $1,158 in Ar-rass versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in Ar-rass versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Ar-rass versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 13% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 SAR 25.66

$13.14 MX$227

-48.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.30 SAR 170

$53.5 MX$926

-15.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.25

$9.33 MX$161

-13.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.95

$3.70 MX$64.0

0.27%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.76

$1.60 MX$27.76

-54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$1.12 MX$19.34

-74.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

$1.65 MX$28.61

46.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 SAR 3.96

$2.71 MX$46.96

-61.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.69

$1.91 MX$33.03

-20.94%

Eggs

$3.61 SAR 13.54

$2.59 MX$44.81

39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 SAR 26.28

$9.81 MX$170

-28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 SAR 28.21

$8.43 MX$146

-10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 SAR 48.15

$11.93 MX$206

7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.46

$2.95 MX$51.1

-23.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.74 MX$30.10

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$2.04 MX$35.38

-17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$2.06 MX$35.64

-21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$2.15 MX$37.20

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.78

$2.26 MX$39.02

-43.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 SAR 4.41

$1.39 MX$23.97

-15.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$1.12 MX$19.31

-50.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 SAR 11.96

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 SAR 23.85

$4.22 MX$73.0

50.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$0.35 MX$6.10

197.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.46 SAR 152

$19.32 MX$334

109.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$1.38 MX$23.80

94.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

$0.28 MX$4.77

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.57

$5.28 MX$91.3

150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$1.36 MX$23.50

-54.41%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

38.40%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-5.90%

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

$104 SAR 389

$40.53 MX$701

155.42%

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

$33.38 SAR 125

$27.38 MX$474

21.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 SAR 277

$30.38 MX$526

142.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.82 SAR 165

$52.2 MX$903

-16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 SAR 135

$26.48 MX$458

36.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SAR 59.0

$6.19 MX$107

153.80%

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

$358 SAR 1,343

$425 MX$7,355

-15.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,014 SAR 26.3K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-34.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.03 SAR 79.0

$58.3 MX$1,009

-63.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$44.57 MX$771

37.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 SAR 299

$103 MX$1,791

-23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 SAR 312

$109 MX$1,881

-23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,672

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,453

$623 MX$10.8K

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,458

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-81.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 SAR 2,324

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-49.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,547 SAR 9,564

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-32.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 SAR 5,598

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-29.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,706 SAR 6,407

$1,052 MX$18.2K

62.15%

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 Ar-rass: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ar-rass and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Ar-rass vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $293 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,158 vs $1,472 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $445 in Ar-rass versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $358 in Ar-rass versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,158 in Ar-rass versus $1,472 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.