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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,006 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,471 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,935 in Ha'il.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ha'il is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.63 SAR 24.88

98.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$25.33 SAR 95.1

112.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.97 SAR 26.15

35.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.15 SAR 11.81

12.70%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.00 SAR 3.75

62.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.32 SAR 1.20

246.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.87 SAR 3.25

212.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.83 SAR 6.86

4.37%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.88 SAR 7.04

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.59 SAR 24.74

52.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.87 SAR 33.31

-8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.21 SAR 30.83

41.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.57 SAR 5.90

89.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.55 SAR 5.83

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.25 SAR 4.70

60.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.99 SAR 7.46

2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.30 SAR 4.88

63.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.59 SAR 5.96

42.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.05 SAR 3.95

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.45 SAR 1.69

151.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$7.20 SAR 27.04

-40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-65.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.66 SAR 149

-51.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.71 SAR 10.17

-49.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.92 SAR 7.22

-85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-59.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.59 SAR 2.22

120.34%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.6K SAR 99.8K

-29.70%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

3.11%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$53.5 SAR 201

-23.58%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$21.54 SAR 80.8

24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$46.94 SAR 176

-36.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$66.4 SAR 249

-21.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$34.93 SAR 131

-23.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$14.45 SAR 54.2

-56.40%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$350 SAR 1,313

24.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,015 SAR 26.3K

48.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.9 SAR 225

-5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$59.2 SAR 222

-25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$80.3 SAR 301

28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$82.5 SAR 310

27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$490 SAR 1,840

108.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$335 SAR 1,258

88.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$431 SAR 1,619

395.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$363 SAR 1,364

242.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,368 SAR 8,888

64.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,324 SAR 4,967

55.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,067 SAR 4,004

4.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $490 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 $288 vs $178 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 46% 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.

Mexico City pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $490 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 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 $1,006 in Ha'il versus $1,467 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 $1,006 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 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.