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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,004 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,564 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,123 in Ha'il.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Ha'il is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$5.19 SAR 19.49

133.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$36.64 SAR 138

42.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$6.08 SAR 22.82

79.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 SAR 4.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.8

$2.71 SAR 10.17

49.45%

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

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.58 SAR 2.17

196.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$0.24 SAR 0.89

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.48

$1.72 SAR 6.44

7.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.7

$0.82 SAR 3.07

292.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.42

$1.91 SAR 7.17

9.42%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.41

$1.96 SAR 7.36

48.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$6.56 SAR 24.62

90.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.55 SAR 32.11

18.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$8.19 SAR 30.74

94.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$1.50 SAR 5.65

120.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.56 SAR 5.84

36.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$1.23 SAR 4.63

78.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.57

$1.97 SAR 7.41

24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.18

$1.32 SAR 4.95

65.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.35

$1.57 SAR 5.89

21.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.14 SAR 4.27

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.92

$0.46 SAR 1.72

193.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SAR 8.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.1

$6.80 SAR 25.54

-20.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.77

$1.04 SAR 3.89

-67.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

$35.74 SAR 134

-39.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$2.90 SAR 10.87

-29.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$1.81 SAR 6.81

-67.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$13.36 SAR 50.2

-55.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$0.60 SAR 2.26

170.00%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$46.0K SAR 172.6K

-50.37%

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

$26.7K MX$452.8K

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

23.09%

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

$65.2 MX$1,108

$53.0 SAR 199

23.21%

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

$29.87 MX$507

$21.54 SAR 80.9

38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$45.79 SAR 172

-20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

$67.7 SAR 254

-9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

$36.19 SAR 136

-26.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$14.55 SAR 54.6

-52.92%

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

$453 MX$7,700

$340 SAR 1,276

33.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

$6,604 SAR 24.8K

102.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,273

$51.2 SAR 192

46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$939

$59.8 SAR 225

-7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,929

$94.5 SAR 355

20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$87.5 SAR 329

40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$240 SAR 902

371.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$340 SAR 1,278

109.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

$362 SAR 1,360

609.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

$550 SAR 2,064

138.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

$2,364 SAR 8,878

68.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

$1,390 SAR 5,218

50.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

$1,063 SAR 3,993

-1.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.47

106.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $240 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $177 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 64% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $240 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $340 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,004 in Ha'il versus $1,646 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 $1,004 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.