Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,344 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,120 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,897 in Al Khobar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Al Khobar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.75 SAR 25.34

95.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$52.6 SAR 197

2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.05 SAR 30.20

17.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 SAR 10.22

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.32 SAR 16.23

-17.82%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.00 SAR 3.75

62.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.51 SAR 1.93

117.65%

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 6.34

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.38 SAR 5.17

97.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.33 SAR 8.75

-18.03%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.91 SAR 10.91

-12.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.59 SAR 24.72

52.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$9.17 SAR 34.43

-11.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.70 SAR 47.65

-8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.50 SAR 9.38

18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.74 SAR 6.54

4.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.11 SAR 7.90

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.64 SAR 6.17

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.43 SAR 5.38

48.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.67 SAR 6.26

35.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.62 SAR 2.33

82.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.75 SAR 25.35

-36.74%

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

$0.92 SAR 3.45

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$61.6 SAR 231

-68.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.25 SAR 8.44

-38.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-78.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.59 SAR 24.74

-17.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.60 SAR 2.25

116.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

-11.68%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

2.05%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$123 SAR 461

-66.70%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$34.93 SAR 131

-23.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$80.1 SAR 301

-62.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$107 SAR 400

-51.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$36.08 SAR 135

-25.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-64.33%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$307 SAR 1,151

42.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,553 SAR 28.3K

37.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$63.8 SAR 239

-11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$70.0 SAR 263

-36.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$98.7 SAR 370

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$80.8 SAR 303

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$433 SAR 1,624

136.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$397 SAR 1,489

59.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,031 SAR 3,869

107.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$790 SAR 2,965

57.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,419 SAR 9,077

61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,457 SAR 5,468

41.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,866 SAR 7,005

-40.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.84

195.31%

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 Khobar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $433 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $217 per month, with Al Khobar 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 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, Al Khobar earns 67% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $433 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 221% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $307 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,344 in Al Khobar versus $1,467 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 $1,344 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.