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: $1,148 in Rabigh versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Rabigh versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,186 in Rabigh versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 15% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 SAR 14.63

$12.98 MX$223

-69.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.09 SAR 79.1

$52.6 MX$903

-59.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$9.43 MX$162

-24.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.87

Cappuccino

$2.42 SAR 9.06

$3.57 MX$61.3

-32.21%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.61 MX$27.55

-60.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 SAR 0.42

$1.15 MX$19.81

-90.43%

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)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.70 MX$29.17

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$2.64 MX$45.23

-89.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.77

$1.90 MX$32.67

23.16%

Eggs

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$2.54 MX$43.62

-12.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 SAR 20.56

$10.08 MX$173

-45.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 SAR 18.55

$8.29 MX$142

-40.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 SAR 47.16

$11.57 MX$199

8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

$3.03 MX$52.0

-28.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

$1.71 MX$29.35

-6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$2.05 MX$35.16

-22.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.06 MX$35.36

-36.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$2.06 MX$35.43

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$2.17 MX$37.25

-42.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.40 MX$24.08

-22.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.09

$1.12 MX$19.26

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.14 SAR 15.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.00

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$4.29 MX$73.7

-36.60%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$0.38 MX$6.55

176.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 SAR 150

$19.06 MX$327

110.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$1.38 MX$23.70

138.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$0.28 MX$4.74

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.02 SAR 56.4

$5.42 MX$92.9

177.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.28 MX$21.98

-53.91%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

42.65%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

-5.96%

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

$107 SAR 402

$41.02 MX$704

161.14%

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

$32.50 SAR 122

$26.92 MX$462

20.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 SAR 259

$29.69 MX$510

132.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 SAR 326

$52.3 MX$898

66.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 SAR 133

$26.23 MX$450

34.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$6.18 MX$106

119.09%

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

$401 SAR 1,504

$427 MX$7,331

-6.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,411 SAR 24.1K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 SAR 239

$56.8 MX$975

11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 SAR 219

$44.83 MX$769

30.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 SAR 351

$105 MX$1,794

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 SAR 311

$106 MX$1,819

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,059

$995 MX$17.1K

-71.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$621 MX$10.7K

-38.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,962

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-75.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,326

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-50.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SAR 7,525

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-48.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 SAR 5,231

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-33.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Rabigh and $995 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 $288 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,447 including rent). Rabigh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,722 in Rabigh and $2,171 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: $282 in Rabigh 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 Rabigh runs roughly 110% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $401 in Rabigh versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Rabigh versus $1,447 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.