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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,163 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,703 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,243 in Rabigh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 28% more expensive than Rabigh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Rabigh is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$4.10 SAR 15.36

216.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$20.94 SAR 78.5

153.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$7.16 SAR 26.84

35.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.47 SAR 9.26

51.82%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.69 SAR 2.57

127.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.12 SAR 0.46

841.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.37 SAR 5.13

18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$0.28 SAR 1.06

867.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-18.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.21 SAR 8.29

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$5.49 SAR 20.57

83.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.83 SAR 18.11

71.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$12.63 SAR 47.36

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$2.16 SAR 8.12

32.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.58 SAR 5.91

10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.62 SAR 6.08

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$1.30 SAR 4.88

51.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.32 SAR 4.96

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.24 SAR 4.65

75.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.06 SAR 3.96

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.60 SAR 2.23

86.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$2.60 SAR 9.75

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$1.10 SAR 4.11

-64.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$39.46 SAR 148

-52.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$3.19 SAR 11.96

-56.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-84.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$15.28 SAR 57.3

-64.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$0.63 SAR 2.37

114.29%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

-28.55%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

6.77%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$104 SAR 392

-60.90%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$31.74 SAR 119

-13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$69.4 SAR 260

-56.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$89.3 SAR 335

-40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$35.21 SAR 132

-25.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$13.26 SAR 49.72

-52.71%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$408 SAR 1,531

6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$63.9 SAR 240

-11.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$57.7 SAR 216

-22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$95.2 SAR 357

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$82.3 SAR 309

31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$278 SAR 1,041

259.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$383 SAR 1,437

61.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$531 SAR 1,990

302.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$626 SAR 2,347

97.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$2,387 SAR 8,952

61.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$1,325 SAR 4,969

76.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.5

152.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $278 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $164 per month, with Rabigh 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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rabigh differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,163 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,745 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $278 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 111% 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 $408 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,484 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 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.