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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $922 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,467 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,011 in Taif.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than Taif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Taif is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.25 SAR 19.69

151.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$40.17 SAR 151

34.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.71 SAR 25.18

40.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.92 SAR 10.96

21.58%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.72 SAR 2.70

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.26 SAR 0.97

326.92%

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

$1.37 SAR 5.14

24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.26 SAR 0.96

946.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.36 SAR 8.88

-19.07%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.56 SAR 9.61

-0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.38 SAR 27.70

35.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.99 SAR 22.49

35.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.73 SAR 40.25

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.28 SAR 8.55

30.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.59 SAR 5.96

13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.02 SAR 7.59

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.92 SAR 7.19

5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.46 SAR 5.48

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.56 SAR 5.87

45.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.85 SAR 3.19

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.97 SAR 3.65

16.49%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.55 SAR 24.56

-34.81%

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

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-64.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$40.19 SAR 151

-52.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.72 SAR 10.21

-49.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.04 SAR 7.67

-86.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$13.18 SAR 49.45

-58.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.60 SAR 2.26

116.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

-5.25%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

15.73%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$73.2 SAR 275

-44.19%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$28.41 SAR 107

-5.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$88.5 SAR 332

-66.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$76.0 SAR 285

-31.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$37.04 SAR 139

-27.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$17.58 SAR 66.0

-64.16%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$264 SAR 991

65.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,548 SAR 20.8K

87.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$38.85 SAR 146

45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$42.12 SAR 158

5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.9 SAR 300

28.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$46.88 SAR 176

125.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$214 SAR 804

377.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$173 SAR 649

264.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$433 SAR 1,626

393.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$349 SAR 1,309

256.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,130 SAR 7,993

83.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,248 SAR 4,685

65.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,031 SAR 7,622

-45.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.6

146.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taif: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $214 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 82% 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 $40.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $181 per month, with Taif 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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Taif differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $922 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taif earns 82% 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 $214 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taif runs roughly 110% 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 $264 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $922 in Taif versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taif 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 Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.