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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Qatif versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,707 in Qatif versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,328 in Qatif versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 18% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 SAR 12.93

$13.14 MX$228

-73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.42 SAR 178

$53.5 MX$928

-11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 SAR 30.22

$9.33 MX$162

-13.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Cappuccino

$3.66 SAR 13.72

$3.70 MX$64.2

-1.08%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.91

$1.60 MX$27.82

-51.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.12 MX$19.39

-76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.65 MX$28.68

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$2.71 MX$47.07

-70.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.64

$1.91 MX$33.10

6.28%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.73

$2.59 MX$44.92

-10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 SAR 22.63

$9.81 MX$170

-38.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 SAR 27.72

$8.43 MX$146

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 SAR 36.29

$11.93 MX$207

-18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 SAR 7.95

$2.95 MX$51.2

-28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 SAR 5.56

$1.74 MX$30.18

-14.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

$2.04 MX$35.46

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 SAR 2.83

$2.06 MX$35.73

-63.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$2.15 MX$37.28

-41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$2.26 MX$39.11

-40.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.39 MX$24.03

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$1.12 MX$19.36

-50.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.68 SAR 28.83

$4.22 MX$73.2

81.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$0.35 MX$6.12

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 SAR 147

$19.32 MX$335

103.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 SAR 11.71

$1.38 MX$23.86

126.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$0.28 MX$4.78

482.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.22 SAR 49.64

$5.28 MX$91.5

150.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.36 MX$23.55

-52.21%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.7K

$19.1K MX$331.3K

18.15%

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

$19.7K SAR 73.8K

$23.6K MX$409.4K

-16.74%

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

$104 SAR 392

$40.53 MX$703

157.32%

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

$37.20 SAR 140

$27.38 MX$475

35.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 SAR 224

$30.38 MX$527

96.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 SAR 354

$52.2 MX$906

80.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.9 SAR 214

$26.48 MX$459

114.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 SAR 57.7

$6.19 MX$107

148.14%

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

$405 SAR 1,521

$425 MX$7,372

-4.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,110 SAR 30.5K

$10.7K MX$186.2K

-24.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 SAR 192

$58.3 MX$1,011

-12.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 SAR 191

$44.57 MX$773

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 SAR 343

$103 MX$1,795

-11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 SAR 322

$109 MX$1,886

-21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 SAR 1,351

$1,014 MX$17.6K

-64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 SAR 1,054

$623 MX$10.8K

-54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 SAR 2,692

$2,119 MX$36.8K

-66.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 SAR 1,826

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-60.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$949 SAR 3,562

$3,792 MX$65.8K

-74.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$796 SAR 2,990

$2,110 MX$36.6K

-62.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,248 SAR 8,439

$1,052 MX$18.2K

113.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

11.34

-61.82%

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

Last update for Qatif: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Qatif and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Qatif vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $293 per month, with Qatif 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

Qatif vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif and Mexico City differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,472 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Qatif, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Qatif versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qatif runs roughly 103% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $405 in Qatif versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,087 in Qatif versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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, Qatif and Mexico City 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.