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: $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Ar-rass versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Ar-rass versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 21% 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 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 SAR 24.75

$12.98 MX$226

-49.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 SAR 166

$53.1 MX$923

-16.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.67

$9.72 MX$169

-15.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.84

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.93

$3.75 MX$65.2

-1.07%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$1.57 MX$27.30

-50.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$1.13 MX$19.64

-72.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 SAR 8.84

$1.62 MX$28.21

45.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 SAR 3.75

$2.71 MX$47.09

-63.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.88 MX$32.70

-20.21%

Eggs

$3.69 SAR 13.85

$2.51 MX$43.65

47.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 SAR 25.30

$10.08 MX$175

-33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 SAR 28.13

$8.29 MX$144

-9.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 SAR 48.28

$11.94 MX$208

7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.16

$2.86 MX$49.77

-23.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.75 MX$30.45

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.08 MX$36.27

-17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$1.97 MX$34.27

-17.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$2.16 MX$37.58

-40.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$2.18 MX$37.94

-41.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.63

$1.39 MX$24.20

-10.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$1.12 MX$19.57

-50.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.44 SAR 9.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 SAR 24.03

$4.20 MX$73.1

52.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$0.39 MX$6.71

179.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.57 SAR 148

$18.66 MX$325

112.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$1.39 MX$24.12

89.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.18

$0.30 MX$5.29

540.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.30

$5.42 MX$94.3

142.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.35 MX$23.50

-57.04%

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

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

42.59%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

-2.57%

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

$107 SAR 402

$40.82 MX$710

162.81%

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

$33.09 SAR 124

$27.50 MX$479

20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 SAR 274

$30.38 MX$529

140.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 SAR 166

$53.4 MX$930

-17.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$26.30 MX$458

37.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.94 SAR 59.8

$6.27 MX$109

154.23%

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

$354 SAR 1,327

$436 MX$7,588

-18.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-33.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.2

$56.8 MX$988

-62.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 SAR 229

$44.79 MX$779

36.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 SAR 293

$103 MX$1,789

-23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$108 MX$1,878

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 SAR 1,631

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-56.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,431

$620 MX$10.8K

-38.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 SAR 1,444

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-81.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SAR 2,377

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-48.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 SAR 8,901

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-38.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 SAR 5,661

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-35.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 SAR 6,465

$1,067 MX$18.6K

61.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Ar-rass and $1,000 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: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $286 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 ($1,166 vs $1,484 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 62% 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: $435 in Ar-rass versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $354 in Ar-rass versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,484 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.