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: $1,080 in Qatif versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Qatif versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,196 in Qatif versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 SAR 13.38

$11.92 MX$206

-70.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 SAR 132

$51.6 MX$890

-31.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 SAR 25.07

$11.41 MX$197

-41.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

Cappuccino

$2.95 SAR 11.07

$3.99 MX$68.9

-26.07%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$1.66 MX$28.61

-56.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 SAR 0.58

$1.33 MX$22.87

-88.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.88 MX$32.36

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$3.25 MX$56.1

-71.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.16 MX$37.26

-9.72%

Eggs

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$2.90 MX$49.94

-27.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 SAR 21.42

$12.86 MX$222

-55.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 SAR 29.31

$10.05 MX$173

-22.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 SAR 48.76

$15.86 MX$273

-18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$3.29 MX$56.8

-33.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.01 MX$34.60

-14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.20 MX$37.93

-27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$2.36 MX$40.63

-72.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.05 MX$35.43

-45.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$1.90 MX$32.79

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$1.61 MX$27.68

-43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.89

$1.40 MX$24.09

-64.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 SAR 24.85

$5.46 MX$94.2

21.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.34 MX$5.84

205.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.12 SAR 136

$20.81 MX$359

73.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 SAR 8.86

$2.10 MX$36.15

12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$0.56 MX$9.64

-8.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.20

$5.81 MX$100

125.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.30

$1.61 MX$27.68

-62.11%

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

$35.8K SAR 134.6K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

56.89%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.2K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-22.17%

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

$103 SAR 388

$65.2 MX$1,124

58.41%

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

$33.42 SAR 126

$30.09 MX$519

11.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 SAR 219

$37.18 MX$641

56.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 311

$59.8 MX$1,030

38.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.55 SAR 141

$26.55 MX$458

41.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 SAR 49.60

$7.04 MX$121

87.64%

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

$270 SAR 1,015

$465 MX$8,012

-41.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,795 SAR 29.3K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-41.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.48 SAR 118

$75.9 MX$1,308

-58.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.90 SAR 78.5

$56.0 MX$965

-62.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 SAR 355

$112 MX$1,929

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 340

$121 MX$2,078

-24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 SAR 2,157

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 SAR 1,298

$721 MX$12.4K

-52.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 SAR 3,281

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-65.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 SAR 2,055

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-57.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$951 SAR 3,573

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-76.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 SAR 2,942

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-62.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,249 SAR 8,448

$1,037 MX$17.9K

116.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

11.3

-51.33%

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

Last update for Qatif: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Qatif and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 117% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Qatif vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $345 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,080 vs $1,660 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $574 in Qatif versus $1,103 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $270 in Qatif versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,080 in Qatif versus $1,660 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.