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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,163 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,365 in Unaizah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Unaizah is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.68 SAR 25.10

96.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$40.60 SAR 152

31.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.15 SAR 26.86

30.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$4.18 SAR 15.70

-11.48%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.74 SAR 2.77

116.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.28 SAR 1.06

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.54 SAR 5.80

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.29 SAR 1.07

834.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.30 SAR 8.63

-16.96%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.53 SAR 9.50

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.09 SAR 22.87

61.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.70 SAR 17.66

79.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.79 SAR 48.03

-6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.25 SAR 8.43

31.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.56 SAR 5.86

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.74 SAR 6.52

17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.60 SAR 6.02

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.28 SAR 4.79

67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.58 SAR 9.69

-12.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.23 SAR 4.62

13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.66 SAR 2.47

69.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.83 SAR 25.66

-38.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.05 SAR 3.93

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.78 SAR 149

-51.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.71 SAR 10.18

-49.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.84 SAR 6.92

-84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$13.08 SAR 49.10

-59.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.60 SAR 2.24

126.67%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

-27.96%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$21.9K SAR 82.3K

7.65%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$104 SAR 392

-61.21%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$33.13 SAR 124

-17.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$72.5 SAR 272

-58.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$53.3 SAR 200

-2.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$35.48 SAR 133

-25.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$15.56 SAR 58.4

-60.22%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$354 SAR 1,329

20.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,930 SAR 26.0K

54.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$59.9 SAR 225

-2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$61.1 SAR 229

-27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$80.7 SAR 303

28.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$82.3 SAR 309

32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$448 SAR 1,681

126.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$380 SAR 1,426

63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$840 SAR 3,156

152.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$622 SAR 2,337

96.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,481 SAR 9,315

52.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,517 SAR 5,696

39.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$2,500 SAR 9,389

-57.92%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $448 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 138% 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 $41.00 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $175 per month, with Unaizah 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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Unaizah differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,163 including rent). Unaizah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 138% lower in Unaizah. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $448 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Unaizah runs roughly 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $354 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Unaizah versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Unaizah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Unaizah 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 Unaizah 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 Unaizah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.