Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sakakah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakakah: $1,223 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sakakah
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Sakakah Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Sakakah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,223 in Sakakah.

Mexico City $1,674
Sakakah $1,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,793 in Sakakah.

Mexico City $2,606
Sakakah $1,793

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,364 in Sakakah.

Mexico City $3,537
Sakakah $2,364

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Sakakah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Sakakah is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$5.81 SAR 21.79

82.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$36.64 SAR 138

41.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$7.81 SAR 29.29

37.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$3.65 SAR 13.69

4.11%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$0.64 SAR 2.40

151.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$0.34 SAR 1.28

255.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$1.67 SAR 6.26

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$1.35 SAR 5.08

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$2.36 SAR 8.85

-18.22%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$2.38 SAR 8.94

16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$7.68 SAR 28.82

51.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$6.77 SAR 25.42

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$12.59 SAR 47.25

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$2.22 SAR 8.33

39.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$1.72 SAR 6.46

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$1.59 SAR 5.97

24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$1.56 SAR 5.85

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$1.23 SAR 4.63

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$1.32 SAR 4.95

37.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$1.19 SAR 4.45

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$0.53 SAR 1.98

147.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.37

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$5.84 SAR 21.92

-8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$0.98 SAR 3.69

-69.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

$36.58 SAR 137

-46.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$2.81 SAR 10.55

-31.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$1.73 SAR 6.50

-72.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$14.80 SAR 55.6

-63.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$0.59 SAR 2.23

150.85%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$25.1K SAR 94.4K

-14.99%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$24.2K SAR 90.9K

-1.89%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$119 SAR 445

-47.75%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$37.42 SAR 140

-23.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$73.6 SAR 276

-53.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$79.1 SAR 297

-26.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$11.94 SAR 44.80

-44.81%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$380 SAR 1,426

14.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$11.0K SAR 41.2K

27.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$38.10 SAR 143

79.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$59.7 SAR 224

-8.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$101 SAR 379

9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$80.6 SAR 303

43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$563 SAR 2,114

109.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$398 SAR 1,494

93.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$872 SAR 3,274

194.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$604 SAR 2,267

135.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$1,840 SAR 6,905

94.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$1,239 SAR 4,651

66.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$912 SAR 3,422

9.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.54

104.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Sakakah

$398 32.6% 48.3% $373

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Sakakah

$197 16.1% 39.2% $127

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Sakakah

$118 9.6% 41.4% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Sakakah

$126 10.3% 20.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Sakakah

$230 18.8% 84.4% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Sakakah

$103 8.4% 43.9% $31

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Sakakah

$52 4.3% 108% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $563 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 10% 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: $52 in Mexico City vs $37 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $197 per month, with Sakakah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Sakakah

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

242,813

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Sakakah 13,010 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Sakakah

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 Sakakah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $1,223 in Sakakah, so Sakakah is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $563 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 47% less than in Sakakah. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $380 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,223 in Sakakah versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sakakah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sakakah 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sakakah wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.