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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Rabigh versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,674 in Rabigh versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Rabigh versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 16% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 SAR 15.16

$13.14 MX$229

-69.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.35 SAR 80.2

$53.5 MX$934

-60.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.26 SAR 27.25

$9.33 MX$163

-22.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 SAR 2.90

Cappuccino

$2.42 SAR 9.08

$3.70 MX$64.5

-34.59%

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

$0.66 SAR 2.47

$1.60 MX$27.98

-58.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 SAR 0.49

$1.12 MX$19.49

-88.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$1.65 MX$28.84

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$2.71 MX$47.34

-90.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.61

$1.91 MX$33.29

19.90%

Eggs

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.59 MX$45.17

-15.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.23 SAR 19.63

$9.81 MX$171

-46.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 SAR 17.68

$8.43 MX$147

-44.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 SAR 47.73

$11.93 MX$208

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

$2.95 MX$51.5

-28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

$1.74 MX$30.35

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$2.04 MX$35.66

-23.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$2.06 MX$35.93

-34.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$2.15 MX$37.49

-38.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$2.26 MX$39.33

-44.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 SAR 4.01

$1.39 MX$24.17

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.12 MX$19.47

-47.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.49

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SAR 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$4.22 MX$73.6

-37.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.92

$0.35 MX$6.15

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.83 SAR 150

$19.32 MX$337

106.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.11

$1.38 MX$24.00

134.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$0.28 MX$4.81

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 SAR 57.0

$5.28 MX$92.0

187.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$1.36 MX$23.69

-53.68%

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

$26.9K SAR 100.9K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

40.75%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

-9.35%

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

$107 SAR 403

$40.53 MX$707

164.64%

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

$31.87 SAR 120

$27.38 MX$478

16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 SAR 263

$30.38 MX$530

130.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$52.2 MX$911

65.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.88 SAR 135

$26.48 MX$462

35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.3

$6.19 MX$108

116.32%

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

$402 SAR 1,508

$425 MX$7,414

-5.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,413 SAR 24.1K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-40.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 SAR 243

$58.3 MX$1,017

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 SAR 217

$44.57 MX$777

29.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 SAR 354

$103 MX$1,805

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 SAR 319

$109 MX$1,897

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 SAR 1,064

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-72.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,453

$623 MX$10.9K

-37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,965

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-75.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 SAR 2,334

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-49.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 SAR 10.1K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-29.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 SAR 5,585

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-29.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.34

-60.32%

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

Last update for Rabigh: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Rabigh and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Rabigh vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $293 per month, with Rabigh 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

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

Rabigh and Mexico City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $1,472 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,681 in Rabigh and $2,208 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Rabigh 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 Rabigh 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 $402 in Rabigh versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,121 in Rabigh versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rabigh but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rabigh 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, Rabigh 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 Rabigh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.