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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,090 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,731 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,372 in Rabigh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in Rabigh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Rabigh is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.63 SAR 24.91

83.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$54.0 SAR 203

-0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.49 SAR 31.87

30.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 SAR 9.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.70 SAR 13.91

10.81%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.04 SAR 3.89

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.24 SAR 0.90

479.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.75 SAR 6.57

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.28 SAR 4.80

147.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-7.17%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.40 SAR 9.01

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.27 SAR 23.56

100.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.03 SAR 30.15

25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$13.15 SAR 49.40

22.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.03 SAR 7.63

67.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.69 SAR 6.33

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.57 SAR 5.90

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.62 SAR 6.10

48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.12 SAR 4.21

90.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.34 SAR 5.04

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.07 SAR 4.02

44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.50 SAR 1.89

172.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$6.52 SAR 24.48

-11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.00 SAR 3.77

-63.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$30.97 SAR 116

-31.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$3.16 SAR 11.86

-35.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-65.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$13.67 SAR 51.4

-55.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.64 SAR 2.40

142.19%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$48.0K SAR 180.2K

-52.32%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

24.99%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$100 SAR 376

-32.64%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$38.76 SAR 146

-21.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$67.2 SAR 252

-44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$79.9 SAR 300

-23.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$32.10 SAR 121

-15.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$12.12 SAR 45.50

-41.34%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$730 SAR 2,740

-37.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$16.2K SAR 60.7K

-15.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$68.9 SAR 259

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$59.1 SAR 222

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$96.8 SAR 364

19.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$98.1 SAR 368

23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$327 SAR 1,227

251.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$240 SAR 902

195.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$609 SAR 2,287

323.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$424 SAR 1,592

205.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,584 SAR 9,704

55.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,180 SAR 4,430

80.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.39

109.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $327 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $54.0 in Rabigh. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $198, with Rabigh cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rabigh differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,090 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,635 in Rabigh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $327 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rabigh runs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $730 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rabigh but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rabigh 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 Rabigh 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 Rabigh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.