Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qatif Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qatif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,055 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,678 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,301 in Qatif.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.39 SAR 12.71

282.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$48.21 SAR 181

10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.10 SAR 30.38

20.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.53 SAR 13.23

6.23%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.77 SAR 2.89

103.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.26 SAR 0.97

334.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.80 SAR 3.01

238.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-10.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.33 SAR 8.73

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.20 SAR 23.26

62.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.16 SAR 26.83

15.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.02 SAR 37.58

19.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.14 SAR 8.01

33.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.54 SAR 5.76

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.44 SAR 5.38

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.72 SAR 2.68

173.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.28 SAR 4.78

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.33 SAR 4.99

63.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.11 SAR 4.15

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.51 SAR 1.90

119.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$7.51 SAR 28.17

-44.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-64.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$39.91 SAR 150

-53.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.12 SAR 11.71

-55.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-80.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$13.41 SAR 50.3

-59.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.63 SAR 2.37

114.29%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

-15.98%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

18.07%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$103 SAR 387

-60.46%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$37.05 SAR 139

-25.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$58.9 SAR 221

-48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$95.3 SAR 357

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$57.2 SAR 214

-54.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-58.80%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$392 SAR 1,470

11.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

29.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$52.4 SAR 196

8.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$50.8 SAR 190

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$91.5 SAR 343

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$85.4 SAR 320

26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$356 SAR 1,333

181.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$282 SAR 1,058

119.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$710 SAR 2,661

201.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$495 SAR 1,855

149.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$943 SAR 3,537

309.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$776 SAR 2,910

200.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,869 SAR 7,009

-42.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.33

161.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qatif: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $48.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $173 per month, with Qatif 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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Qatif differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,055 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Qatif earns 75% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $356 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qatif runs roughly 114% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $392 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,055 in Qatif versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.