Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Mazatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,351 a month against $1,392 in Mazatlan, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. The total is higher in Mazatlan despite lower rent and utilities.

Medina, Saudi Arabia
Mazatlan, Mexico
Medina
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,351
/mo nomad
Mazatlan
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medina and in Mazatlan

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

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Medina vs $1,392 in Mazatlan, rent included.

  • Medina $1,351
  • Mazatlan $1,392

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in Medina vs $2,002 in Mazatlan, rent included.

  • Medina $1,806
  • Mazatlan $2,002

A family of three spends $2,261 per month in Medina vs $2,612 in Mazatlan, rent included.

  • Medina $2,261
  • Mazatlan $2,612

Medina is about 3% cheaper than Mazatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 SAR 21.14
$10.56 MX$197
-46.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.66 SAR 119
$45.04 MX$840
-29.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.98 SAR 29.93
$8.26 MX$154
-3.39%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.58 SAR 5.92
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 SAR 6.59
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.61 SAR 9.78
$3.34 MX$62.3
-21.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 SAR 2.94
$1.41 MX$26.36
-44.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 SAR 0.86
$1.07 MX$19.91
-78.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.98 MX$36.91
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.63 MX$48.96
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 SAR 5.61
$1.61 MX$30.01
-7.45%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 SAR 3.66
$2.49 MX$46.49
-61.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.61
$1.34 MX$25.05
71.64%
Eggs
$2.12 SAR 7.95
$2.65 MX$49.46
-20.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.38 SAR 20.20
$7.85 MX$146
-31.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.26 SAR 27.25
$6.78 MX$126
7.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.83 SAR 48.15
$7.75 MX$145
65.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 SAR 9.25
$2.66 MX$49.63
-7.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 SAR 7.25
$1.58 MX$29.52
22.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 SAR 8.78
$1.60 MX$29.74
46.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 SAR 5.80
$0.46 MX$8.58
236.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 SAR 5.30
$1.64 MX$30.62
-14.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 SAR 4.96
$1.30 MX$24.29
1.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 SAR 3.38
$1.48 MX$27.61
-39.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 SAR 2.61
-
-
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.36 SAR 5.11
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 SAR 5.56
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 SAR 6.17
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.36 SAR 27.62
$3.94 MX$73.5
86.80%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$15.55 MX$290
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.05 MX$38.30
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.13 MX$58.4
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 SAR 3.93
$0.73 MX$13.54
43.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.74 SAR 142
$39.65 MX$739
-4.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.31 SAR 4.90
$3.46 MX$64.5
-62.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 SAR 6.21
$2.38 MX$44.46
-30.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 SAR 21.42
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.63 SAR 2.38
$1.46 MX$27.28
-56.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.7K SAR 160.4K
$21.1K MX$393.7K
102.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K SAR 78.2K
$24.0K MX$446.5K
-12.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 SAR 555
$57.5 MX$1,072
157.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.56 SAR 103
$45.40 MX$846
-39.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$89.2 SAR 335
$41.54 MX$774
114.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.9 SAR 292
$42.74 MX$797
82.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.84 SAR 33.19
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.17 SAR 49.42
$4.44 MX$82.7
196.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$293 SAR 1,101
$87.0 MX$1,622
237.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,518 SAR 20.7K
$1,967 MX$36.7K
180.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.11 SAR 139
$61.7 MX$1,151
-39.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.8 SAR 198
$26.92 MX$502
96.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.9 SAR 247
$109 MX$2,033
-39.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.1 SAR 256
$81.9 MX$1,527
-16.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$550 SAR 2,064
$802 MX$15.0K
-31.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$533 SAR 1,999
$607 MX$11.3K
-12.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$779 SAR 2,922
$1,247 MX$23.2K
-37.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$581 SAR 2,179
$826 MX$15.4K
-29.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,256 SAR 8,465
$1,520 MX$28.3K
48.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,362 SAR 5,112
$1,028 MX$19.2K
32.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medina
Mazatlan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,257 SAR 4,717
$520 MX$9,703
141.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.17
11.6
-64.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medina: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medina
$533
Mazatlan
$607 14% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medina
$265
Mazatlan
$144 45.4% $120
Groceries & Markets
Medina
$193
Mazatlan
$230 * 19.3% $37
Eating Out
Medina
$104
Mazatlan
$174 67.2% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Medina
$104
Mazatlan
$52 50.5% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Medina
$101
Mazatlan
$126 24.9% $25
Getting Around
Medina
$52
Mazatlan
$58 12.5% $6.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $550 in Medina versus $802 in Mazatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medina are about 2.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Medina versus $45 in Mazatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $230 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Medina
🇲🇽 Mazatlan
🕒 Local time
07:02 7:02 AM
21:02 9:02 PM
10 h behind Medina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,100,093
441,975
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medina Mazatlan 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medina
  • Mazatlan

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
Medina vs Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medina and in Mazatlan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,351 in Medina, $1,392 in Mazatlan – Medina comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medina compared to Mazatlan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,027 per month in Medina and $2,088 in Mazatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medina and Mazatlan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $550 there versus $802 in Mazatlan.
How do commuting costs compare in Medina and in Mazatlan?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Medina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medina and Mazatlan?
Kindergarten costs $293 per month in Medina and $87 in Mazatlan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,351 in Medina and $1,392 in Mazatlan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Medina and Mazatlan?
It depends on your priorities. Mazatlan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,351 in Medina to $1,392 in Mazatlan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Where should expats move: Medina or Mazatlan?
For expats, Medina is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 3% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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