Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ar-rass

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rass: $1,162 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rass
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Ar-rass Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Ar-rass

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ar-rass

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 Ar-rass actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,162 in Ar-rass.

Mexico City $1,674
Ar-rass $1,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,717 in Ar-rass.

Mexico City $2,606
Ar-rass $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,272 in Ar-rass.

Mexico City $3,537
Ar-rass $2,272

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than in Ar-rass, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Ar-rass is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$6.73 SAR 25.27

57.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$37.53 SAR 141

38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$8.20 SAR 30.79

30.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$3.29 SAR 12.36

15.50%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$0.88 SAR 3.30

82.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$0.27 SAR 1.01

348.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$1.81 SAR 6.81

-4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$0.38 SAR 1.43

681.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$1.82 SAR 6.85

6.04%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$3.67 SAR 13.78

-24.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$6.77 SAR 25.40

72.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$7.99 SAR 29.97

18.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$12.90 SAR 48.43

19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$2.14 SAR 8.03

44.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.73 SAR 6.48

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$1.64 SAR 6.17

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$1.56 SAR 5.84

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$1.25 SAR 4.68

61.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$1.33 SAR 5.01

36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$1.26 SAR 4.73

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$0.58 SAR 2.17

125.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$7.88 SAR 29.58

-32.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$0.96 SAR 3.60

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$42.22 SAR 158

-53.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$2.61 SAR 9.78

-26.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.49 SAR 5.60

-68.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$13.93 SAR 52.3

-61.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$0.61 SAR 2.27

142.62%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$25.3K SAR 95.1K

-15.64%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$21.7K SAR 81.4K

9.50%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$94.9 SAR 356

-34.68%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$24.18 SAR 90.7

17.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$60.3 SAR 226

-43.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$43.79 SAR 164

33.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$13.26 SAR 49.79

-50.30%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$417 SAR 1,565

4.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$11.2K SAR 42.1K

25.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$42.38 SAR 159

61.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$55.8 SAR 209

-1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$97.9 SAR 368

13.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$74.6 SAR 280

55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$562 SAR 2,110

109.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$416 SAR 1,560

85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$383 SAR 1,439

570.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$620 SAR 2,327

128.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$1,915 SAR 7,189

87.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$1,353 SAR 5,078

52.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$1,732 SAR 6,502

-42.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.54

104.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Ar-rass

$416 35.8% 46.1% $355

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Ar-rass

$197 16.9% 39.2% $127

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Ar-rass

$123 10.5% 38.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Ar-rass

$122 10.5% 22.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Ar-rass

$179 15.4% 44% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Ar-rass

$70 6.1% 1.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Ar-rass

$56 4.8% 125% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $562 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $38 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $197 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Ar-rass

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

06:32 6:32 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

121,359

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ar-rass 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ar-rass

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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $1,162 in Ar-rass, so Ar-rass is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $562 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $417 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ar-rass gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.