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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Tabuk versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Tabuk versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Tabuk versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Tabuk costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tabuk is 11% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 SAR 27.57

$12.11 MX$206

-39.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.86 SAR 120

$52.2 MX$887

-39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.21

$10.90 MX$185

-28.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

Cappuccino

$3.14 SAR 11.81

$4.05 MX$68.8

-22.47%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$1.72 MX$29.13

-56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.38 MX$23.40

-81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$1.85 MX$31.48

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 SAR 3.22

$3.22 MX$54.7

-73.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 SAR 10.06

$2.09 MX$35.42

28.23%

Eggs

$2.97 SAR 11.15

$2.91 MX$49.41

2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 SAR 45.73

$12.49 MX$212

-2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 SAR 25.66

$10.11 MX$172

-32.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 SAR 49.01

$15.89 MX$270

-17.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.45

$3.31 MX$56.3

-40.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$2.13 MX$36.12

-22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

$2.19 MX$37.20

-18.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$2.45 MX$41.57

-9.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$2.19 MX$37.18

-22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

$1.90 MX$32.35

9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$1.62 MX$27.44

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.11

$1.35 MX$22.92

-58.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 SAR 25.34

$5.43 MX$92.1

24.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.34 MX$5.77

220.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.27 SAR 136

$21.58 MX$366

68.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

$2.04 MX$34.65

45.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$0.58 MX$9.82

213.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.37 SAR 50.2

$5.97 MX$101

123.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.30

$1.62 MX$27.44

-62.35%

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

$45.5K SAR 170.8K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

99.42%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-20.90%

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

$99.4 SAR 373

$65.2 MX$1,108

52.38%

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

$37.39 SAR 140

$29.87 MX$507

25.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 SAR 286

$36.55 MX$621

108.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 SAR 311

$61.0 MX$1,036

35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.30 SAR 140

$26.70 MX$453

39.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 SAR 49.24

$6.85 MX$116

91.39%

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

$338 SAR 1,269

$453 MX$7,700

-25.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,501 SAR 31.9K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 SAR 191

$75.0 MX$1,273

-32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 SAR 226

$55.3 MX$939

8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 SAR 359

$114 MX$1,929

-15.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 SAR 334

$123 MX$2,083

-27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 SAR 1,263

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-70.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 SAR 1,393

$712 MX$12.1K

-47.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,326

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 SAR 2,296

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-53.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,388 SAR 8,968

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-40.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SAR 5,248

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-33.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 SAR 6,409

$1,047 MX$17.8K

63.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

11.3

-51.59%

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

Last update for Tabuk: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Tabuk and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Tabuk vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $345 per month, with Tabuk 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

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

Tabuk and Mexico City differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,221 vs $1,646 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Tabuk, 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: $336 in Tabuk versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tabuk runs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $338 in Tabuk versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,221 in Tabuk versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk 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, Tabuk 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 Tabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.