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: $1,311 in Tabuk versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,991 in Tabuk versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tabuk versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Tabuk costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tabuk is 2% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 SAR 31.96

$13.07 MX$229

-34.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.73 SAR 104

$53.8 MX$940

-48.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 SAR 27.66

$9.68 MX$169

-23.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.05 SAR 11.45

$3.74 MX$65.4

-18.45%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.80

$1.62 MX$28.25

-53.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.16 MX$20.31

-77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$1.65 MX$28.80

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 SAR 2.09

$2.75 MX$48.15

-79.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SAR 10.17

$1.87 MX$32.77

44.92%

Eggs

$2.62 SAR 9.86

$2.50 MX$43.72

4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 SAR 47.09

$10.20 MX$178

22.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 SAR 24.76

$8.25 MX$144

-20.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 SAR 49.14

$11.82 MX$207

10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

$3.01 MX$52.6

-33.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.04

$1.81 MX$31.67

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.74

$2.00 MX$34.96

-10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$2.00 MX$34.89

6.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$2.08 MX$36.45

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.27 MX$39.72

-7.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 SAR 7.27

$1.46 MX$25.47

32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.32

$1.08 MX$18.82

-42.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.63 SAR 28.65

$4.35 MX$76.0

75.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$0.39 MX$6.77

176.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.43 SAR 148

$18.69 MX$327

110.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

$1.33 MX$23.18

103.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$0.28 MX$4.89

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 SAR 50.7

$5.25 MX$91.8

156.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.45

$1.34 MX$23.37

-51.49%

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

$26.7K SAR 100.4K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

37.73%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-5.86%

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

$161 SAR 604

$40.69 MX$712

295.11%

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

$37.11 SAR 139

$26.87 MX$470

38.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 SAR 391

$30.51 MX$534

241.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 SAR 332

$52.8 MX$923

67.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.85 SAR 135

$26.65 MX$466

34.52%

Cinema Ticket

$25.80 SAR 96.9

$6.51 MX$114

296.31%

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

$352 SAR 1,321

$428 MX$7,485

-17.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,390 SAR 31.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-20.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 SAR 221

$57.3 MX$1,001

2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 SAR 222

$45.50 MX$796

30.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 SAR 295

$104 MX$1,819

-24.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 SAR 309

$108 MX$1,885

-23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 SAR 1,263

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-66.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,375

$623 MX$10.9K

-41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 SAR 3,049

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-61.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 SAR 2,769

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-39.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,566 SAR 9,638

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-33.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,533 SAR 5,756

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-24.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,762 SAR 6,617

$1,038 MX$18.1K

69.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.34

-61.02%

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

Last update for Tabuk: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Tabuk and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Tabuk vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $292 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,311 vs $1,456 including rent). Tabuk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $1,003 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 111% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $352 in Tabuk versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,311 in Tabuk versus $1,456 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.