Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $1,076 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Mecca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Mecca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,076 in Mecca.

Mexico City $1,608
Mecca $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,613 in Mecca.

Mexico City $2,549
Mecca $1,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,151 in Mecca.

Mexico City $3,490
Mecca $2,151

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Mecca is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$4.64 SAR 17.41

128.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$26.18 SAR 98.2

84.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.00 SAR 26.26

47.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$2.53 SAR 9.50

45.85%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$0.71 SAR 2.67

135.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$0.25 SAR 0.94

408.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.69 SAR 6.34

1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$0.96 SAR 3.62

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-7.62%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.50 SAR 9.39

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$5.91 SAR 22.15

85.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$8.18 SAR 30.70

13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$13.00 SAR 48.76

16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.09 SAR 7.83

45.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.62 SAR 6.06

19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$1.60 SAR 5.99

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$1.54 SAR 5.76

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$1.17 SAR 4.39

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$1.32 SAR 4.94

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$1.09 SAR 4.08

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.54 SAR 2.03

135.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.24 SAR 15.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$6.70 SAR 25.15

-20.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$1.09 SAR 4.07

-71.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$45.74 SAR 172

-56.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$2.43 SAR 9.10

-24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.77 SAR 6.64

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$13.28 SAR 49.83

-60.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$0.61 SAR 2.27

147.54%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

-17.95%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

12.22%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$67.8 SAR 254

-7.05%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$34.99 SAR 131

-21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$61.9 SAR 232

-42.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$80.8 SAR 303

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$41.97 SAR 157

-43.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$12.00 SAR 45.03

-46.67%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$757 SAR 2,840

-42.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$16.8K SAR 63.0K

-32.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$13.39 SAR 50.3

409.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$56.6 SAR 212

-6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$39.94 SAR 150

169.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$52.6 SAR 197

123.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$603 SAR 2,264

84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$386 SAR 1,448

84.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$903 SAR 3,387

186.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$620 SAR 2,326

126.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$5,392 SAR 20.2K

-32.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,411 SAR 5,292

51.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$1,071 SAR 4,019

-11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.25

116.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Mecca

$386 35.9% 45.7% $324

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Mecca

$194 18% 39.4% $126

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Mecca

$92 8.6% 53.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Mecca

$73 6.8% 53.1% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Mecca

$165 15.3% 30.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Mecca

$105 9.7% 46.1% $33

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Mecca

$61 5.7% 141% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $603 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $26 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $194 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

07:03 7:03 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Mecca 13,650 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Mecca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $603 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,076 in Mecca – Mecca is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 57% less than in Mecca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,076 in Mecca versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.