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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,758 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,350 in Ar-rass.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ar-rass is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.60 SAR 24.75

96.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$44.21 SAR 166

20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.18 SAR 30.67

18.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.84

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.71 SAR 13.93

1.08%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.78 SAR 2.93

101.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.31 SAR 1.17

264.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.36 SAR 8.84

-31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.00 SAR 3.75

171.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.50 SAR 5.61

25.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.69 SAR 13.85

-31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.75 SAR 25.30

49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.50 SAR 28.13

10.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.87 SAR 48.28

-7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.18 SAR 8.16

31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.59 SAR 5.96

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.72 SAR 6.45

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.62 SAR 6.07

21.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.29 SAR 4.83

67.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.27 SAR 4.76

71.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.24 SAR 4.63

12.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.55 SAR 2.06

103.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.44 SAR 9.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.41 SAR 24.03

-34.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-64.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$39.57 SAR 148

-52.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.63 SAR 9.87

-47.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.92 SAR 7.18

-84.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$13.15 SAR 49.30

-58.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.58 SAR 2.18

132.76%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

-29.87%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

2.64%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$107 SAR 402

-61.95%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$33.09 SAR 124

-16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$73.0 SAR 274

-58.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$44.27 SAR 166

20.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$36.20 SAR 136

-27.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$15.94 SAR 59.8

-60.66%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$354 SAR 1,327

23.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

51.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$21.12 SAR 79.2

168.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$61.1 SAR 229

-26.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$78.2 SAR 293

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$82.6 SAR 310

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$435 SAR 1,631

129.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$382 SAR 1,431

62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$385 SAR 1,444

454.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$634 SAR 2,377

94.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,374 SAR 8,901

62.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,509 SAR 5,661

54.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,724 SAR 6,465

-38.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.42

156.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $435 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $204 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,166 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 62% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $435 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $354 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,484 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.