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: $1,055 in Qatif versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,678 in Qatif versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,301 in Qatif versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 21% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 SAR 12.71

$12.98 MX$226

-73.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.21 SAR 181

$53.1 MX$923

-9.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.38

$9.72 MX$169

-16.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$3.53 SAR 13.23

$3.75 MX$65.2

-5.87%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$1.57 MX$27.30

-50.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.13 MX$19.64

-76.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.62 MX$28.21

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 SAR 3.01

$2.71 MX$47.09

-70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$1.88 MX$32.70

11.70%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.51 MX$43.65

-7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.20 SAR 23.26

$10.08 MX$175

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 SAR 26.83

$8.29 MX$144

-13.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.58

$11.94 MX$208

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.01

$2.86 MX$49.77

-25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.76

$1.75 MX$30.45

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.38

$2.08 MX$36.27

-30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 SAR 2.68

$1.97 MX$34.27

-63.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.78

$2.16 MX$37.58

-40.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$2.18 MX$37.94

-38.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 SAR 4.15

$1.39 MX$24.20

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$1.12 MX$19.57

-54.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.17

$4.20 MX$73.1

78.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.39 MX$6.71

179.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 SAR 150

$18.66 MX$325

113.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 SAR 11.71

$1.39 MX$24.12

124.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$0.30 MX$5.29

423.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.3

$5.42 MX$94.3

147.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.35 MX$23.50

-53.33%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

19.03%

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

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

-15.30%

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

$103 SAR 387

$40.82 MX$710

152.94%

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

$37.05 SAR 139

$27.50 MX$479

34.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 SAR 221

$30.38 MX$529

93.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 357

$53.4 MX$930

78.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 SAR 214

$26.30 MX$458

117.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$6.27 MX$109

142.74%

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

$392 SAR 1,470

$436 MX$7,588

-10.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-22.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 SAR 196

$56.8 MX$988

-7.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 SAR 190

$44.79 MX$779

13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 SAR 343

$103 MX$1,789

-11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 SAR 320

$108 MX$1,878

-20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,333

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,058

$620 MX$10.8K

-54.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 SAR 2,661

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 SAR 1,855

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-75.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 SAR 2,910

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-66.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,869 SAR 7,009

$1,067 MX$18.6K

75.14%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Qatif and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Qatif vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $286 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,055 vs $1,484 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Qatif pays 75% more on average, 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: $356 in Qatif versus $1,000 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 114% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $392 in Qatif versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,055 in Qatif versus $1,484 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.