Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hafar Al Batin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hafar Al Batin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,799 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,388 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Hafar Al Batin is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$5.38 SAR 20.21

140.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$27.02 SAR 101

93.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$6.56 SAR 24.61

47.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$3.41 SAR 12.81

9.97%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$0.69 SAR 2.60

126.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$0.24 SAR 0.91

383.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$0.98 SAR 3.69

172.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-20.25%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$2.48 SAR 9.32

1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$6.89 SAR 25.84

45.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$7.38 SAR 27.69

15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$12.75 SAR 47.84

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$2.28 SAR 8.57

30.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$1.66 SAR 6.22

7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$1.68 SAR 6.29

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$1.63 SAR 6.12

20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$1.23 SAR 4.63

75.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$1.33 SAR 4.98

70.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$1.24 SAR 4.65

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$0.59 SAR 2.21

88.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$7.11 SAR 26.68

-40.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$40.28 SAR 151

-52.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$2.68 SAR 10.06

-48.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$1.83 SAR 6.88

-83.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$13.06 SAR 49.03

-58.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$0.63 SAR 2.36

104.76%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

-30.22%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

6.71%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$106 SAR 399

-62.50%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$33.56 SAR 126

-17.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$73.0 SAR 274

-59.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$87.2 SAR 327

-40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

$35.56 SAR 133

-26.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$15.67 SAR 58.8

-59.99%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$350 SAR 1,313

23.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$6,958 SAR 26.1K

51.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$59.2 SAR 222

-3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$61.5 SAR 231

-26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$80.7 SAR 303

26.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$83.0 SAR 311

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$439 SAR 1,647

126.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$388 SAR 1,458

58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$866 SAR 3,250

140.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$618 SAR 2,319

103.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

$2,077 SAR 7,795

89.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

$1,225 SAR 4,599

70.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

$1,386 SAR 5,203

-18.38%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $439 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 23% 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 $27.00 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $199 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Hafar Al Batin. 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $439 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $350 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,211 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.