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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,311 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,991 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,672 in Tabuk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Tabuk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tabuk is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$8.51 SAR 31.96

53.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$27.73 SAR 104

93.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.36 SAR 27.66

31.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.05 SAR 11.45

22.62%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.75 SAR 2.80

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.26 SAR 0.97

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.56 SAR 2.09

391.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$2.71 SAR 10.17

-31.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.62 SAR 9.86

-4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.54 SAR 47.09

-18.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.59 SAR 24.75

25.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$13.09 SAR 49.14

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.00 SAR 7.52

50.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.61 SAR 6.04

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.79 SAR 6.74

11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.13 SAR 8.00

-6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.70 SAR 6.40

22.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.09 SAR 7.84

8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.94 SAR 7.27

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.62 SAR 2.32

74.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$7.63 SAR 28.65

-42.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$39.43 SAR 148

-52.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.70 SAR 10.14

-50.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.82 SAR 6.82

-84.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$13.49 SAR 50.7

-61.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.65 SAR 2.45

106.15%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$26.7K SAR 100.4K

-27.39%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$22.4K SAR 84.3K

6.22%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$161 SAR 604

-74.69%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$37.11 SAR 139

-27.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$104 SAR 391

-70.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$88.5 SAR 332

-40.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$35.85 SAR 135

-25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$25.80 SAR 96.9

-74.77%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$352 SAR 1,321

21.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$8,390 SAR 31.5K

25.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$58.9 SAR 221

-2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$59.2 SAR 222

-23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$78.5 SAR 295

32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$82.4 SAR 309

30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$336 SAR 1,263

198.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$366 SAR 1,375

70.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$812 SAR 3,049

159.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$737 SAR 2,769

65.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,566 SAR 9,637

51.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,533 SAR 5,756

32.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$1,762 SAR 6,617

-41.10%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $336 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 70% 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 $292 vs $218 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,311 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Tabuk. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $336 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 111% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $352 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,311 in Tabuk versus $1,456 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.