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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,348 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,016 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,685 in Tabuk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than Tabuk, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Tabuk 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.75 SAR 32.84

50.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$27.64 SAR 104

95.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.18 SAR 26.95

31.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.10 SAR 11.64

14.52%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.76 SAR 2.83

113.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.28 SAR 1.06

296.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.83 SAR 6.87

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.52 SAR 1.94

423.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.73 SAR 10.23

-30.04%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.69 SAR 10.11

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.19 SAR 45.75

-17.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.68 SAR 25.06

21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.95 SAR 48.61

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.98 SAR 7.45

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.53 SAR 5.74

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.79 SAR 6.72

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.16 SAR 8.12

-6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.71 SAR 6.43

23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.01 SAR 7.54

12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.00 SAR 7.50

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.57 SAR 2.13

98.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$7.50 SAR 28.14

-43.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.06 SAR 3.97

-64.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.99 SAR 150

-52.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.69 SAR 10.10

-48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-85.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$13.20 SAR 49.53

-58.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.61 SAR 2.30

113.11%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.4K SAR 99.2K

-29.31%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.7K SAR 85.0K

2.08%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$160 SAR 602

-74.51%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$36.95 SAR 139

-27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$106 SAR 399

-71.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$88.2 SAR 331

-41.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$35.71 SAR 134

-24.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$25.73 SAR 96.6

-75.51%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$355 SAR 1,334

22.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,448 SAR 31.7K

23.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.5 SAR 223

-4.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$61.0 SAR 229

-27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.7 SAR 299

29.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$82.7 SAR 310

27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$344 SAR 1,291

197.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$366 SAR 1,374

72.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$822 SAR 3,085

159.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$731 SAR 2,743

70.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,677 SAR 10.0K

45.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,526 SAR 5,728

35.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,707 SAR 6,406

-34.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.42

156.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $344 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $215 per month, with Tabuk 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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tabuk differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,348 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tabuk earns 53% 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 $344 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tabuk runs roughly 108% 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 $355 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,348 in Tabuk versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk 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 Tabuk 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 Tabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.