Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,435 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Al Khobar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,435 in Al Khobar.

Mexico City $1,561
Al Khobar $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $2,239 in Al Khobar.

Mexico City $2,440
Al Khobar $2,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $3,043 in Al Khobar.

Mexico City $3,319
Al Khobar $3,043

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Al Khobar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$6.78 SAR 25.46

64.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$58.9 SAR 221

-16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$8.08 SAR 30.34

38.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 SAR 10.19

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$4.51 SAR 16.92

-16.63%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$0.92 SAR 3.45

79.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$0.40 SAR 1.52

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$1.70 SAR 6.38

6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$1.26 SAR 4.72

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$2.55 SAR 9.59

-19.61%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$2.40 SAR 9.01

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$7.11 SAR 26.69

68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$10.30 SAR 38.68

-7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$11.59 SAR 43.52

28.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$2.77 SAR 10.40

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.78 SAR 6.68

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$1.98 SAR 7.42

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$1.83 SAR 6.86

21.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$1.36 SAR 5.10

51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$1.67 SAR 6.26

12.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-12.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$0.55 SAR 2.05

145.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$6.61 SAR 24.84

-18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$67.0 SAR 252

-69.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$3.38 SAR 12.68

-37.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-80.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$6.84 SAR 25.67

-20.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$0.64 SAR 2.41

137.50%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$66.1K SAR 248.1K

-67.10%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

9.91%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$99.2 SAR 372

-36.51%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$32.92 SAR 124

-12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$69.7 SAR 262

-51.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$80.9 SAR 304

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$36.24 SAR 136

-31.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-55.52%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$602 SAR 2,262

-28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$8,315 SAR 31.2K

42.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$62.8 SAR 236

11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$83.7 SAR 314

-35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$96.3 SAR 362

13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$92.4 SAR 347

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$631 SAR 2,370

68.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$514 SAR 1,929

30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$1,174 SAR 4,410

102.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$855 SAR 3,209

47.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$2,388 SAR 8,966

55.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$1,463 SAR 5,495

35.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$1,872 SAR 7,028

-46.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.88

92.18%

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 Khobar: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Al Khobar

$514 36.1% 23.4% $157

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Al Khobar

$219 15.4% 32.9% $108

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Al Khobar

$138 9.7% 33.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Al Khobar

$151 10.6% 3.9% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Al Khobar

$202 14.2% 60.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Al Khobar

$111 7.8% 60.6% $42

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Al Khobar

$87 6.1% 230% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $631 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $219, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

17:21 5:21 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

219,679

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Al Khobar 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Al Khobar

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

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

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Al Khobar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $631 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 231% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $602 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,435 in Al Khobar versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,435 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Al Khobar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.