Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,017 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,457 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,897 in Ha'il.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ha'il is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$6.72 SAR 25.24

94.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$25.09 SAR 94.2

114.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.12 SAR 26.74

35.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.83

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.29 SAR 12.37

13.68%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.05 SAR 3.93

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.32 SAR 1.19

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.81 SAR 3.05

239.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-1.06%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.93 SAR 7.26

29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.53 SAR 24.52

56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$8.79 SAR 33.01

-6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$8.58 SAR 32.23

37.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.57 SAR 5.88

91.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.55 SAR 5.81

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.24 SAR 4.65

61.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.06 SAR 7.72

-2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.31 SAR 4.92

58.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.59 SAR 5.97

42.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.11 SAR 4.17

31.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.46 SAR 1.73

134.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.08

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$6.89 SAR 25.87

-36.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-64.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$39.20 SAR 147

-52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.69 SAR 10.10

-50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.91 SAR 7.18

-85.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-60.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.63 SAR 2.37

112.70%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

-26.21%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

5.42%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$54.1 SAR 203

-24.76%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$21.08 SAR 79.1

27.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$47.51 SAR 178

-35.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$67.7 SAR 254

-21.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$35.63 SAR 134

-25.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$14.89 SAR 55.9

-56.28%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$350 SAR 1,314

22.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$6,872 SAR 25.8K

52.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$58.5 SAR 219

-2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$59.3 SAR 223

-23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$80.5 SAR 302

29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$82.5 SAR 310

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$482 SAR 1,809

108.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$329 SAR 1,235

89.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$442 SAR 1,662

376.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$366 SAR 1,376

232.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,396 SAR 8,998

62.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,347 SAR 5,060

50.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$1,057 SAR 3,969

-1.82%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $482 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $180 per month, with Ha'il 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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Ha'il. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $482 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $350 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Ha'il versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.