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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,739 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,521 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,304 in Riyadh.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 16% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Riyadh 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.21 SAR 30.82

60.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$53.0 SAR 199

1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.11 SAR 30.45

16.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SAR 8.37

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$4.09 SAR 15.34

-13.20%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.71 SAR 2.66

128.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.29 SAR 1.07

282.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.68 SAR 6.30

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.28 SAR 4.79

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$2.35 SAR 8.83

-18.72%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.73 SAR 10.24

-6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$8.64 SAR 32.44

16.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.02 SAR 37.62

-19.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.57 SAR 54.7

-20.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.35 SAR 8.82

26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.75 SAR 6.56

3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.85 SAR 6.93

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.53 SAR 5.73

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.29 SAR 4.82

64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.47 SAR 5.50

54.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.45 SAR 5.44

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.53 SAR 1.99

113.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.16 SAR 30.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$7.54 SAR 28.29

-43.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-65.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$36.73 SAR 138

-47.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$3.28 SAR 12.29

-57.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-84.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$13.49 SAR 50.6

-59.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$0.63 SAR 2.36

106.35%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$34.1K SAR 128.1K

-45.23%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

-1.24%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$104 SAR 391

-60.78%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$34.25 SAR 129

-21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$77.0 SAR 289

-61.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$105 SAR 394

-50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$58.3 SAR 219

-53.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$16.17 SAR 60.7

-61.04%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$457 SAR 1,716

-4.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

6.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$59.5 SAR 223

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$64.1 SAR 241

-30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$107 SAR 400

-3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$100 SAR 376

5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,072 SAR 4,024

-4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$841 SAR 3,158

-25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,027 SAR 7,608

5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,090 SAR 4,093

13.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

26.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,931 SAR 7,247

6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,252 SAR 8,453

-50.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.31

113.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,072 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 102% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $53.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $226 per month, with Riyadh 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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Riyadh differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,739 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Riyadh earns 102% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,072 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 92% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $457 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,739 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Riyadh 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.