Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Qatif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,102 in Qatif.

Mexico City $1,608
Qatif $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Qatif.

Mexico City $2,549
Qatif $1,640

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,178 in Qatif.

Mexico City $3,490
Qatif $2,178

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Qatif is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.50 SAR 13.15

203.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$34.91 SAR 131

38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.52 SAR 24.48

58.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$3.10 SAR 11.63

19.03%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.77 SAR 2.89

116.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.19 SAR 0.72

568.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-3.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.91 SAR 3.42

234.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.92 SAR 7.21

1.04%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.10 SAR 7.89

37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.90 SAR 22.14

85.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$7.90 SAR 29.64

17.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$12.64 SAR 47.44

19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.29 SAR 8.58

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.71 SAR 6.41

13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.59 SAR 5.95

27.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$0.67 SAR 2.52

244.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.08 SAR 4.05

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.13 SAR 4.26

59.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.95 SAR 3.58

55.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.55 SAR 2.07

130.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$6.26 SAR 23.48

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-71.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$36.50 SAR 137

-45.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$2.46 SAR 9.22

-25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$13.24 SAR 49.71

-59.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.61 SAR 2.29

147.54%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-25.16%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

18.00%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$104 SAR 388

-39.16%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$32.15 SAR 121

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$59.3 SAR 222

-39.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$79.4 SAR 298

-25.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$21.38 SAR 80.2

10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$13.07 SAR 49.04

-51.03%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$264 SAR 992

63.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

45.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$32.16 SAR 121

112.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$21.10 SAR 79.2

151.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$95.5 SAR 358

12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$90.7 SAR 340

29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$586 SAR 2,199

90.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$374 SAR 1,402

90.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$807 SAR 3,029

220.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$578 SAR 2,171

143.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$943 SAR 3,537

285.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$796 SAR 2,987

168.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$2,257 SAR 8,472

-58.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.5

106.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Qatif

$374 33.9% 47.4% $337

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Qatif

$185 16.8% 42% $134

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Qatif

$89 8% 55.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 30.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Qatif

$195 17.7% 54.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Qatif

$106 9.6% 47.1% $34

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 81% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $586 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays about 2.4 times 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 $35 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $185 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

03:08 3:08 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

87,332

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Qatif 13,910 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,102 in Qatif, so Qatif is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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 $586 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 46% less than in Qatif. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $264 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Qatif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.