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: $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Rabigh versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Rabigh versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 21% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 SAR 24.91

$12.14 MX$206

-45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 SAR 203

$53.9 MX$914

0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 SAR 31.87

$11.09 MX$188

-23.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 SAR 9.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Cappuccino

$3.70 SAR 13.91

$4.10 MX$69.5

-9.76%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.89

$1.68 MX$28.53

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.39 MX$23.55

-82.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.85 MX$31.41

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$3.17 MX$53.8

-59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.07 MX$35.13

7.73%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.93 MX$49.67

-18.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 SAR 23.56

$12.59 MX$214

-50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 SAR 30.15

$10.11 MX$172

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 SAR 49.40

$16.09 MX$273

-18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

$3.39 MX$57.5

-40.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$2.08 MX$35.26

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.12 MX$35.97

-25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$2.41 MX$40.95

-32.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.13 MX$36.11

-47.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$2.01 MX$34.02

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 SAR 4.02

$1.55 MX$26.21

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.89

$1.36 MX$23.15

-63.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 SAR 24.48

$5.77 MX$97.8

13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 SAR 3.77

$0.37 MX$6.21

170.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.97 SAR 116

$21.18 MX$359

46.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 SAR 11.86

$2.05 MX$34.84

54.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$0.58 MX$9.79

191.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.67 SAR 51.4

$6.07 MX$103

125.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.55 MX$26.34

-58.71%

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

$48.0K SAR 180.2K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

109.74%

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

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-20.00%

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

$100 SAR 376

$67.4 MX$1,144

48.46%

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

$38.76 SAR 146

$30.62 MX$520

26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 SAR 252

$37.24 MX$632

80.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.9 SAR 300

$61.5 MX$1,043

29.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 SAR 121

$27.12 MX$460

18.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 SAR 45.50

$7.11 MX$121

70.46%

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

$730 SAR 2,740

$456 MX$7,739

59.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.7K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

17.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 SAR 259

$74.2 MX$1,259

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 SAR 222

$57.0 MX$967

3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 SAR 364

$115 MX$1,958

-16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 SAR 368

$122 MX$2,061

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 SAR 1,227

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 SAR 902

$709 MX$12.0K

-66.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 SAR 2,287

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,592

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-67.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,584 SAR 9,704

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 SAR 4,430

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-44.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.3

-52.30%

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

Last update for Rabigh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $327 in Rabigh and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Rabigh vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $345 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,090 vs $1,677 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,635 in Rabigh and $2,515 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: $327 in Rabigh versus $1,148 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 46% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $730 in Rabigh versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,677 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.