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: $1,171 in Ar-rass versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,786 in Ar-rass versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,400 in Ar-rass versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 13% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 SAR 25.69

$12.98 MX$223

-47.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 SAR 165

$52.6 MX$903

-16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 SAR 29.59

$9.43 MX$162

-16.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.68

$3.57 MX$61.3

2.24%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$1.61 MX$27.55

-54.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$1.15 MX$19.81

-73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$1.70 MX$29.17

37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$2.64 MX$45.23

-61.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.90 MX$32.67

-17.89%

Eggs

$3.56 SAR 13.37

$2.54 MX$43.62

40.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.89 SAR 25.86

$10.08 MX$173

-31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 SAR 28.66

$8.29 MX$142

-7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 SAR 48.21

$11.57 MX$199

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$3.03 MX$52.0

-28.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.71 MX$29.35

-4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$2.05 MX$35.16

-17.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.06 MX$35.36

-24.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.69

$2.06 MX$35.43

-39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$2.17 MX$37.25

-41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.66

$1.40 MX$24.08

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$1.12 MX$19.26

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 8.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 SAR 24.10

$4.29 MX$73.7

49.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.38 MX$6.55

186.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.24 SAR 151

$19.06 MX$327

111.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$1.38 MX$23.70

94.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$0.28 MX$4.74

571.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.18 SAR 49.46

$5.42 MX$92.9

143.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.28 MX$21.98

-53.13%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

39.71%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

-4.49%

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

$107 SAR 401

$41.02 MX$704

160.41%

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

$34.28 SAR 129

$26.92 MX$462

27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$29.69 MX$510

144.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 SAR 166

$52.3 MX$898

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.14 SAR 136

$26.23 MX$450

37.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 SAR 58.6

$6.18 MX$106

152.59%

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

$350 SAR 1,311

$427 MX$7,331

-18.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,049 SAR 26.5K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-34.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.95 SAR 78.6

$56.8 MX$975

-63.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SAR 229

$44.83 MX$769

35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 SAR 294

$105 MX$1,794

-24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 SAR 305

$106 MX$1,819

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,627

$995 MX$17.1K

-56.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,454

$621 MX$10.7K

-37.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 SAR 1,421

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-82.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 SAR 2,358

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 SAR 8,946

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-38.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 SAR 4,971

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-36.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,719 SAR 6,452

$1,107 MX$19.0K

55.28%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Ar-rass and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $288 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,171 vs $1,447 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 55% more on average, 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: $434 in Ar-rass versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $350 in Ar-rass versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,171 in Ar-rass versus $1,447 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.