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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,150 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,631 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,113 in Taif.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than in Taif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Taif is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.63 SAR 17.39

157.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$37.25 SAR 140

38.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.87 SAR 25.79

66.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.96 SAR 11.13

34.80%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.69 SAR 2.57

140.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.21 SAR 0.79

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.45 SAR 5.46

29.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.28 SAR 1.06

1060.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-9.62%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.53 SAR 9.51

14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.29 SAR 27.38

76.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.27 SAR 23.55

60.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.58 SAR 39.73

49.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.21 SAR 8.30

48.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.80 SAR 6.77

11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.79 SAR 6.73

22.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.83 SAR 6.88

28.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.52 SAR 5.72

34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.72 SAR 6.45

10.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.83 SAR 3.14

93.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.96 SAR 3.59

45.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.38

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$6.85 SAR 25.72

-20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$35.56 SAR 134

-41.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.31 SAR 4.92

60.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.70 SAR 10.16

-79.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$13.42 SAR 50.4

-56.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.61 SAR 2.29

163.93%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$44.9K SAR 168.6K

-49.13%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$19.0K SAR 71.3K

40.89%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$110 SAR 412

-40.52%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$27.79 SAR 104

8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$85.5 SAR 321

-56.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$122 SAR 459

-51.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$30.23 SAR 114

-12.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$17.24 SAR 64.8

-59.16%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$244 SAR 918

90.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,487 SAR 16.9K

195.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$20.26 SAR 76.1

274.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$56.8 SAR 213

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$94.7 SAR 355

18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$46.33 SAR 174

160.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$1,250 SAR 4,693

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$340 SAR 1,279

111.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$869 SAR 3,264

191.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$336 SAR 1,262

284.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,386 SAR 8,959

67.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,366 SAR 5,131

52.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,790 SAR 6,723

-42.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.6

213.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Taif: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $1,250 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $183 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,150 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Taif. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,250 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $244 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,150 in Taif versus $1,660 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.