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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,758 in Riyadh versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Riyadh versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,192 in Riyadh versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 21% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 32% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 SAR 30.75

$13.07 MX$228

-37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SAR 202

$53.8 MX$936

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$9.68 MX$169

-17.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

Cappuccino

$3.98 SAR 14.93

$3.74 MX$65.1

6.42%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$1.62 MX$28.13

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$1.16 MX$20.23

-73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.65 MX$28.68

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$2.75 MX$47.95

-51.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$1.87 MX$32.63

26.20%

Eggs

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$2.50 MX$43.54

7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.84

$10.20 MX$178

-16.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SAR 37.17

$8.25 MX$144

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 SAR 54.4

$11.82 MX$206

22.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.73

$3.01 MX$52.4

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.81 MX$31.54

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$2.00 MX$34.81

-6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.00 MX$34.74

-20.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$2.08 MX$36.30

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$2.27 MX$39.56

-35.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.46 MX$25.36

-2.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$1.08 MX$18.74

-51.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.87 SAR 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.83

$4.35 MX$75.7

70.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$0.39 MX$6.74

176.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.88 SAR 138

$18.69 MX$325

97.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.09

$1.33 MX$23.08

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.93

$0.28 MX$4.87

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$5.25 MX$91.5

151.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.34 MX$23.27

-52.24%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

80.74%

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

$23.4K SAR 88.0K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-1.63%

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

$106 SAR 398

$40.69 MX$709

160.19%

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

$35.14 SAR 132

$26.87 MX$468

30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 SAR 289

$30.51 MX$531

152.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 SAR 399

$52.8 MX$919

101.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.9 SAR 225

$26.65 MX$464

124.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 SAR 60.9

$6.51 MX$113

149.16%

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

$465 SAR 1,747

$428 MX$7,454

8.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,542 SAR 35.8K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$57.3 MX$997

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 SAR 244

$45.50 MX$792

42.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 413

$104 MX$1,812

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 378

$108 MX$1,878

-6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 SAR 4,166

$1,003 MX$17.5K

10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SAR 3,164

$623 MX$10.8K

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 SAR 7,607

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 SAR 4,233

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-7.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 SAR 10.9K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-25.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 SAR 7,279

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-4.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,020 SAR 7,587

$1,038 MX$18.1K

94.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

11.34

-53.17%

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

Last update for Riyadh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,110 in Riyadh and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Riyadh vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $292 per month, with Riyadh 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

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

Riyadh and Mexico City differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,758 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Riyadh, 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: $1,110 in Riyadh versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 97% less than in Riyadh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Riyadh versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,758 in Riyadh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Riyadh 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.