Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,235 in Ar-rass.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 50% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ar-rass is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.70 SAR 25.15

77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$37.74 SAR 142

36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.77 SAR 29.17

46.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.36 SAR 12.63

18.75%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.81 SAR 3.04

104.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.24 SAR 0.90

454.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.82 SAR 6.85

3.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$0.41 SAR 1.55

692.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.90 SAR 7.14

13.68%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$3.68 SAR 13.82

-21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.03 SAR 26.40

82.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.16 SAR 30.65

23.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$13.12 SAR 49.27

20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.09 SAR 7.83

57.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.77 SAR 6.66

13.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.56 SAR 5.86

41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.61 SAR 6.05

46.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.15 SAR 4.32

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.35 SAR 5.05

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.15 SAR 4.32

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.56 SAR 2.10

150.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$7.90 SAR 29.67

-30.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.22 SAR 4.57

-72.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$35.86 SAR 135

-41.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$2.96 SAR 11.11

-29.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.54 SAR 5.78

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$11.37 SAR 42.69

-48.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.64 SAR 2.40

151.56%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

-51.43%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

25.80%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$88.2 SAR 331

-26.12%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$24.45 SAR 91.8

23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$60.2 SAR 226

-38.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$44.03 SAR 165

35.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$40.53 SAR 152

-34.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.08 SAR 49.14

-46.18%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$349 SAR 1,310

33.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

79.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$50.6 SAR 190

50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$58.2 SAR 219

-3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$95.0 SAR 357

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$95.5 SAR 359

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$580 SAR 2,177

90.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$339 SAR 1,273

112.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$382 SAR 1,433

563.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$591 SAR 2,220

118.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

49.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,276 SAR 4,793

63.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,706 SAR 6,407

-39.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.47

106.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $580 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $199 per month, with Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ar-rass differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,103 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Ar-rass. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $580 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.