Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Yanbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,021 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
Learn more

Yanbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Yanbu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Yanbu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,021 in Yanbu.

Mexico City $1,608
Yanbu $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,620 in Yanbu.

Mexico City $2,549
Yanbu $1,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,220 in Yanbu.

Mexico City $3,490
Yanbu $2,220

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Yanbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Yanbu is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$5.99 SAR 22.48

77.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$38.12 SAR 143

26.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.67 SAR 25.03

55.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$3.90 SAR 14.65

-5.38%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.82 SAR 3.07

103.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.18 SAR 0.68

605.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.71 SAR 6.40

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.94 SAR 3.52

223.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.20 SAR 8.26

-11.82%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.53 SAR 9.49

14.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$6.33 SAR 23.76

73.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$8.43 SAR 31.64

9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$13.00 SAR 48.78

16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.12 SAR 7.97

43.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.71 SAR 6.41

13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.46 SAR 5.46

39.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.62 SAR 6.06

42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.17 SAR 4.39

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.04 SAR 3.91

73.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.10 SAR 4.13

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.54 SAR 2.03

135.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$6.48 SAR 24.32

-18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$1.06 SAR 3.97

-70.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$37.43 SAR 140

-47.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$3.15 SAR 11.82

-41.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.78 SAR 2.94

-32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$13.66 SAR 51.3

-61.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.62 SAR 2.32

143.55%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$37.9K SAR 142.4K

-42.65%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

9.10%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$91.4 SAR 343

-31.12%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$22.38 SAR 84.0

22.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$67.0 SAR 251

-46.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$95.6 SAR 359

-38.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$26.53 SAR 99.6

-10.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$11.78 SAR 44.21

-45.67%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$263 SAR 987

64.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$3,844 SAR 14.4K

197.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$74.3 SAR 279

-8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$57.7 SAR 217

-7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$99.2 SAR 372

8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$93.5 SAR 351

25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$315 SAR 1,181

253.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$211 SAR 790

237.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$610 SAR 2,288

324.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$414 SAR 1,552

239.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,702 SAR 6,387

113.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,237 SAR 4,644

72.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$3,411 SAR 12.8K

-72.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.39

110.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Yanbu

$210 20.6% 70.4% $500

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Yanbu

$197 19.3% 38.4% $123

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Yanbu

$119 11.6% 40.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Yanbu

$146 14.3% 6.3% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Yanbu

$181 17.7% 43.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Yanbu

$119 11.7% 66.1% $47

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Yanbu

$49 4.8% 91.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $315 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays about 3.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $38 in Yanbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $197 per month, with Yanbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

07:47 7:47 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

233,236

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Yanbu 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Yanbu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,021 in Yanbu, so Yanbu is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $315 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 47% less than in Yanbu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $263 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Yanbu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.