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: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,596 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $2,118 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Al-hawiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$200

$4.66 SAR 17.48

138.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$881

$26.67 SAR 100

83.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$202

$6.85 SAR 25.70

63.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.6

$2.53 SAR 9.50

48.62%

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

$1.65 MX$29.70

$0.71 SAR 2.65

132.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$22.99

$0.23 SAR 0.86

456.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.53

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$52.9

$0.96 SAR 3.59

206.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$36.84

$2.19 SAR 8.21

-6.39%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.6

$2.55 SAR 9.58

14.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$215

$5.80 SAR 21.78

106.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$171

$11.95 SAR 44.85

-20.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$267

$13.08 SAR 49.09

13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.5

$2.03 SAR 7.60

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.22

$1.62 SAR 6.07

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.31

$1.83 SAR 6.85

13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$39.87

$1.48 SAR 5.54

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.03

$1.35 SAR 5.05

52.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.74

$1.51 SAR 5.66

24.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.61

$1.09 SAR 4.08

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.18

$0.69 SAR 2.59

95.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.2

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-33.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$77.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

$1.12 SAR 4.20

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$364

$31.31 SAR 118

-35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.66

$2.42 SAR 9.09

-13.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.54

$2.74 SAR 10.29

-80.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.2

$13.50 SAR 50.7

-59.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.33

$0.61 SAR 2.28

149.18%

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

$21.7K MX$390.6K

$44.4K SAR 166.7K

-51.06%

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

$24.8K MX$446.1K

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

17.54%

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

$63.0 MX$1,132

$66.5 SAR 249

-5.25%

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

$28.88 MX$519

$35.32 SAR 133

-18.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$610

$61.9 SAR 232

-45.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,003

$87.4 SAR 328

-36.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$448

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$15.06 SAR 56.5

-55.05%

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

$428 MX$7,690

$395 SAR 1,483

8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$213.4K

$8,923 SAR 33.5K

33.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,259

$13.43 SAR 50.4

421.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$966

$53.8 SAR 202

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,974

$40.12 SAR 151

173.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,071

$53.4 SAR 200

115.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.1K

$545 SAR 2,044

95.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

$349 SAR 1,309

92.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$42.8K

$873 SAR 3,279

172.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.7K

$560 SAR 2,102

125.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$66.8K

$2,288 SAR 8,591

62.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.5K

$1,239 SAR 4,652

59.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.25

115.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $545 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $218 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $1,074 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $1,610 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $545 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 $27.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Mexico City versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,074 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,561 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.