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: $1,059 in Qatif versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,673 in Qatif versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Qatif versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qatif is 21% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 SAR 12.81

$12.98 MX$223

-73.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.01 SAR 176

$52.6 MX$903

-10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.55

$9.43 MX$162

-16.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Cappuccino

$3.55 SAR 13.31

$3.57 MX$61.3

-0.56%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$1.61 MX$27.55

-49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$1.15 MX$19.81

-77.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.70 MX$29.17

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$2.64 MX$45.23

-69.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.90 MX$32.67

5.79%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.54 MX$43.62

-8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 SAR 23.62

$10.08 MX$173

-37.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$8.29 MX$142

-13.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.61

$11.57 MX$199

-13.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$3.03 MX$52.0

-31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$1.71 MX$29.35

-14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$2.05 MX$35.16

-31.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$2.06 MX$35.36

-66.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$2.06 MX$35.43

-37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.16

$2.17 MX$37.25

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.30

$1.40 MX$24.08

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$1.12 MX$19.26

-54.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SAR 29.33

$4.29 MX$73.7

82.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.38 MX$6.55

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.34 SAR 148

$19.06 MX$327

106.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 SAR 12.24

$1.38 MX$23.70

136.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$0.28 MX$4.74

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.52

$5.42 MX$92.9

143.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.28 MX$21.98

-53.13%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

17.22%

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

$19.8K SAR 74.2K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

-15.77%

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

$105 SAR 396

$41.02 MX$704

157.00%

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

$36.22 SAR 136

$26.92 MX$462

34.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 SAR 229

$29.69 MX$510

105.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 358

$52.3 MX$898

82.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$26.23 MX$450

118.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 SAR 58.1

$6.18 MX$106

150.65%

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

$393 SAR 1,476

$427 MX$7,331

-7.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,396 SAR 31.5K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-21.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 SAR 198

$56.8 MX$975

-7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 SAR 192

$44.83 MX$769

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 SAR 343

$105 MX$1,794

-12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 SAR 323

$106 MX$1,819

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$995 MX$17.1K

-63.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$621 MX$10.7K

-53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 SAR 2,606

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-67.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 SAR 1,811

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$963 SAR 3,612

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-75.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 SAR 2,927

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-62.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 SAR 8,661

$1,107 MX$19.0K

108.46%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Qatif and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 108% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $288 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,059 vs $1,447 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Qatif pays 108% 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: $361 in Qatif versus $995 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 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $393 in Qatif versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,059 in Qatif versus $1,447 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.