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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,882 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,542 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.84 SAR 25.66

92.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$44.30 SAR 166

21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.80 SAR 29.27

20.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.61 SAR 13.54

-1.66%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.80 SAR 3.02

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.29 SAR 1.07

282.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.69 SAR 6.35

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.96 SAR 3.60

183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.27 SAR 8.52

-15.86%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.42 SAR 9.09

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.73 SAR 25.27

49.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.61 SAR 28.55

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.06 SAR 49.00

-11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.29 SAR 8.58

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.64 SAR 6.17

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.70 SAR 6.37

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.56 SAR 5.84

30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.29 SAR 4.85

64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.26 SAR 4.75

80.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.20 SAR 4.49

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.55 SAR 2.08

105.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

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)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.89 SAR 25.88

-38.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-63.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$40.44 SAR 152

-52.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.67 SAR 10.02

-48.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-85.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$13.34 SAR 50.1

-59.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.65 SAR 2.43

100.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

-29.79%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

4.43%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$106 SAR 397

-61.34%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$34.27 SAR 129

-21.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$73.7 SAR 277

-59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$86.6 SAR 325

-39.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$36.20 SAR 136

-25.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$15.96 SAR 59.9

-60.53%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$350 SAR 1,313

24.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

50.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.2 SAR 222

-4.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$61.4 SAR 231

-27.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$77.8 SAR 292

32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$82.6 SAR 310

27.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$433 SAR 1,627

135.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$374 SAR 1,405

68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$866 SAR 3,252

146.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$625 SAR 2,346

98.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,091 SAR 7,846

86.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,170 SAR 4,390

76.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $433 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 $288 vs $196 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 20% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,222 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,833 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $433 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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,467 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 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.