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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,324 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,261 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Ar-rawdah 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$9.76 KWD 3.02

33.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$80.3 KWD 24.89

-33.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$9.16 KWD 2.84

5.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 KWD 0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$5.88 KWD 1.82

-36.39%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.64 KWD 0.20

153.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.38 KWD 0.12

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.60 KWD 0.50

3.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.26 KWD 0.39

118.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.72 KWD 0.53

8.72%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.09 KWD 0.65

19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.25 KWD 1.63

94.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.43 KWD 1.99

28.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.13 KWD 3.14

16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.41 KWD 0.75

24.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.80 KWD 0.56

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.45 KWD 0.45

37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.23 KWD 0.38

69.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.28 KWD 0.40

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.69 KWD 0.52

-13.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.48 KWD 0.15

125.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.00 KWD 0.93

45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.88 KWD 0.27

-55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$43.51 KWD 13.48

-57.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.34 KWD 1.04

-60.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.28 KWD 1.02

-91.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$16.02 KWD 4.96

-67.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.34 KWD 0.10

294.12%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.2K KWD 6,581

-8.59%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$19.9K KWD 6,177

19.57%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$61.9 KWD 19.17

-34.22%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$18.84 KWD 5.84

42.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$26.31 KWD 8.15

15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$93.4 KWD 28.93

-43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$45.48 KWD 14.09

-41.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$11.60 KWD 3.59

-43.88%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$408 KWD 126

4.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,519 KWD 2,020

61.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$42.73 KWD 13.24

33.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$42.53 KWD 13.18

6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$87.0 KWD 26.96

19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$81.9 KWD 25.39

31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$788 KWD 244

27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$620 KWD 192

0.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,601 KWD 496

31.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,291 KWD 400

-5.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,628 KWD 505

24.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.14

58.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $80.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $179, with Ar-rawdah cheaper for home cooking.

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-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rawdah wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ar-rawdah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $2,080 in Ar-rawdah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ar-rawdah – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,387 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rawdah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rawdah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ar-rawdah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,387 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ar-rawdah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ar-rawdah 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 Ar-rawdah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.