Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al-hawiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al-hawiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,204 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,854 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,504 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Al-hawiyah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.52 SAR 24.50

100.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$43.75 SAR 164

22.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.91 SAR 29.72

22.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.71 SAR 13.92

0.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.80 SAR 2.99

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.31 SAR 1.17

274.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.65 SAR 6.18

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.02 SAR 3.82

169.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.32 SAR 8.71

-19.40%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.41 SAR 9.05

3.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.99 SAR 26.24

45.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.58 SAR 28.48

8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$12.84 SAR 48.22

-7.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.27 SAR 8.52

32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.66 SAR 6.22

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.73 SAR 6.50

15.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.57 SAR 5.88

27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.24 SAR 4.65

67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.28 SAR 4.79

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.19 SAR 4.45

22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.55 SAR 2.07

96.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.36

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$6.86 SAR 25.76

-36.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$39.56 SAR 149

-52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.60 SAR 9.75

-48.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.89 SAR 7.10

-85.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-60.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.60 SAR 2.24

123.33%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

-26.80%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

6.97%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$105 SAR 393

-61.11%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$33.27 SAR 125

-19.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$71.6 SAR 269

-57.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$88.9 SAR 334

-40.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$35.66 SAR 134

-25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$15.40 SAR 57.8

-57.73%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$350 SAR 1,313

22.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,026 SAR 26.4K

49.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$58.4 SAR 219

-1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$60.7 SAR 228

-24.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$77.9 SAR 292

33.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$83.1 SAR 312

29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$431 SAR 1,618

132.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$386 SAR 1,450

61.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$849 SAR 3,187

148.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$617 SAR 2,317

97.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,514 SAR 9,440

54.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,367 SAR 5,134

48.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.42

156.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $431 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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

Mexico City vs Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Al-hawiyah differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,204 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,805 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $431 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,204 in Al-hawiyah – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.