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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,121 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,674 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,228 in Rabigh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than in Rabigh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Rabigh is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$4.04 SAR 15.16

225.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$21.35 SAR 80.2

150.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$7.26 SAR 27.25

28.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 SAR 2.90

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.42 SAR 9.08

52.89%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.66 SAR 2.47

142.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.13 SAR 0.49

761.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.35 SAR 5.06

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.26 SAR 0.98

942.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$2.29 SAR 8.61

-16.59%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.20 SAR 8.25

17.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$5.23 SAR 19.63

87.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.71 SAR 17.68

78.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$12.71 SAR 47.73

-6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.12 SAR 7.96

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.62 SAR 6.09

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.57 SAR 5.88

29.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.35 SAR 5.07

52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.33 SAR 4.98

61.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.26 SAR 4.74

79.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.07 SAR 4.01

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.59 SAR 2.23

89.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.49

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SAR 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.63 SAR 9.86

60.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$1.05 SAR 3.92

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$39.83 SAR 150

-51.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$3.23 SAR 12.11

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.84 SAR 6.91

-84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$15.17 SAR 57.0

-65.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.63 SAR 2.35

115.87%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$26.9K SAR 100.9K

-28.95%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

10.31%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$107 SAR 403

-62.21%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$31.87 SAR 120

-14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$70.1 SAR 263

-56.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$86.6 SAR 325

-39.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$35.88 SAR 135

-26.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$13.39 SAR 50.3

-53.77%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$402 SAR 1,508

5.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,413 SAR 24.1K

67.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$64.7 SAR 243

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$57.9 SAR 217

-22.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$94.2 SAR 354

9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$85.1 SAR 319

27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$284 SAR 1,064

257.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$387 SAR 1,453

60.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$523 SAR 1,965

305.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$622 SAR 2,334

96.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$2,685 SAR 10.1K

41.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$1,488 SAR 5,585

41.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $284 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $163 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,121 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,681 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $284 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 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $402 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,121 in Rabigh versus $1,472 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.