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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,249 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,165 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ar-rawdah is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.29 KWD 3.47

5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$63.7 KWD 19.58

-19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.04 KWD 2.78

26.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$5.30 KWD 1.63

-24.72%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.71 KWD 0.22

133.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.31 KWD 0.10

329.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.60 KWD 0.49

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.53 KWD 0.47

112.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.00 KWD 0.61

8.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.07 KWD 0.64

40.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$4.35 KWD 1.34

195.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.83 KWD 2.10

47.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.45 KWD 3.21

51.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.44 KWD 0.75

34.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.94 KWD 0.59

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.81 KWD 0.56

21.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.50 KWD 0.46

57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.39 KWD 0.43

47.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.48 KWD 0.45

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$2.38 KWD 0.73

-32.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.60 KWD 0.18

133.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.80 KWD 0.86

95.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.82 KWD 0.25

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$4.82 KWD 1.48

-56.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-82.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$16.00 KWD 4.92

-63.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.33 KWD 0.10

387.88%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$21.1K KWD 6,487

8.21%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$20.4K KWD 6,255

31.42%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$66.2 KWD 20.33

-1.50%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$22.53 KWD 6.92

33.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$29.99 KWD 9.21

23.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$102 KWD 31.20

-41.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$11.47 KWD 3.52

-38.62%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$300 KWD 92.2

54.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$9,436 KWD 2,900

40.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$37.81 KWD 11.62

100.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$39.84 KWD 12.24

40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$99.8 KWD 30.66

12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$88.9 KWD 27.32

35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$737 KWD 226

49.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$545 KWD 167

32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,847 KWD 567

37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$1,320 KWD 406

-1.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,642 KWD 505

27.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.53

73.05%

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-rawdah: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $64.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $189, 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 24% 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 $2,489 in Mexico City and $2,000 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,333 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,660 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 $1,333 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.