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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,057 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,683 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,308 in Qatif.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.41 SAR 12.78

280.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$48.84 SAR 183

7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$8.03 SAR 30.13

20.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$3.57 SAR 13.40

5.04%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.76 SAR 2.87

105.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.26 SAR 0.97

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.72 SAR 6.44

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.83 SAR 3.11

221.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$2.11 SAR 7.93

-10.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.23 SAR 8.35

13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$6.30 SAR 23.63

59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$7.33 SAR 27.52

16.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$10.15 SAR 38.08

17.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.09 SAR 7.83

42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.48 SAR 5.57

20.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.44 SAR 5.40

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.71 SAR 2.65

176.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.28 SAR 4.81

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.38 SAR 5.18

64.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.10 SAR 4.13

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.51 SAR 1.91

117.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$7.84 SAR 29.43

-46.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$1.09 SAR 4.11

-64.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$39.62 SAR 149

-51.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$3.15 SAR 11.84

-56.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.56 SAR 5.85

-80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$13.37 SAR 50.2

-59.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.63 SAR 2.37

104.76%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

-16.47%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$20.2K SAR 75.7K

17.95%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$106 SAR 396

-62.25%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$36.23 SAR 136

-23.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$59.2 SAR 222

-49.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$94.6 SAR 355

-45.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$57.5 SAR 216

-54.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$15.54 SAR 58.3

-59.65%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$401 SAR 1,505

7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$8,166 SAR 30.6K

29.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$51.6 SAR 194

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$50.8 SAR 191

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$90.1 SAR 338

13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$86.8 SAR 326

25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$356 SAR 1,336

179.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$285 SAR 1,070

116.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$703 SAR 2,639

196.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$495 SAR 1,856

153.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$970 SAR 3,639

305.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$795 SAR 2,983

162.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$2,237 SAR 8,396

-49.43%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Qatif: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 98% 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 $49.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $175 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,057 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Qatif earns 98% 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: $994 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 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $401 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,057 in Qatif versus $1,448 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.