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: $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Rabigh versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in Rabigh versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 22% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 13% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 SAR 15.36

$12.98 MX$226

-68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.94 SAR 78.5

$53.1 MX$923

-60.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 SAR 26.84

$9.72 MX$169

-26.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$2.47 SAR 9.26

$3.75 MX$65.2

-34.13%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.57

$1.57 MX$27.30

-56.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 SAR 0.46

$1.13 MX$19.64

-89.38%

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)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$1.62 MX$28.21

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$2.71 MX$47.09

-89.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.65

$1.88 MX$32.70

22.87%

Eggs

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.51 MX$43.65

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 SAR 20.57

$10.08 MX$175

-45.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 SAR 18.11

$8.29 MX$144

-41.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 SAR 47.36

$11.94 MX$208

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.86 MX$49.77

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.75 MX$30.45

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.08 MX$36.27

-22.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.97 MX$34.27

-34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$2.16 MX$37.58

-38.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$2.18 MX$37.94

-43.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.39 MX$24.20

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.23

$1.12 MX$19.57

-46.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$4.20 MX$73.1

-38.10%

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)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$0.39 MX$6.71

182.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.46 SAR 148

$18.66 MX$325

111.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 SAR 11.96

$1.39 MX$24.12

129.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$0.30 MX$5.29

533.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 SAR 57.3

$5.42 MX$94.3

181.92%

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)

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

39.96%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

-6.34%

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

$104 SAR 392

$40.82 MX$710

155.78%

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

$31.74 SAR 119

$27.50 MX$479

15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 SAR 260

$30.38 MX$529

128.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 SAR 335

$53.4 MX$930

67.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.21 SAR 132

$26.30 MX$458

33.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 SAR 49.72

$6.27 MX$109

111.48%

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

$408 SAR 1,531

$436 MX$7,588

-6.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 SAR 240

$56.8 MX$988

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 SAR 216

$44.79 MX$779

28.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 SAR 357

$103 MX$1,789

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$108 MX$1,878

-23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 SAR 1,041

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-72.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,437

$620 MX$10.8K

-38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,990

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-75.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 SAR 2,347

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-49.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 SAR 8,952

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-38.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 SAR 4,969

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Rabigh and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Rabigh vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $286 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 28% in total monthly costs ($1,163 vs $1,484 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,745 in Rabigh and $2,225 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: $278 in Rabigh 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 Rabigh runs roughly 111% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $408 in Rabigh versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,484 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 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.