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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,136 in Taif versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Taif versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,067 in Taif versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Taif costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taif is 17% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$12.11 MX$206

-62.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.49 SAR 137

$52.2 MX$887

-30.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 SAR 25.72

$10.90 MX$185

-37.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 SAR 5.80

Cappuccino

$2.98 SAR 11.19

$4.05 MX$68.8

-26.42%

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

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$1.72 MX$29.13

-63.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.87

$1.38 MX$23.40

-83.33%

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)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$1.85 MX$31.48

-19.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$3.22 MX$54.7

-92.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.09 MX$35.42

9.09%

Eggs

$2.47 SAR 9.28

$2.91 MX$49.41

-15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 SAR 26.97

$12.49 MX$212

-42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 SAR 23.84

$10.11 MX$172

-37.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 SAR 40.01

$15.89 MX$270

-32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.53

$3.31 MX$56.3

-31.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

$2.13 MX$36.12

-15.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$2.19 MX$37.20

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

$2.45 MX$41.57

-26.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$2.19 MX$37.18

-32.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.90 MX$32.35

-9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$1.62 MX$27.44

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$1.35 MX$22.92

-29.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 SAR 24.39

$5.43 MX$92.1

19.71%

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)

$1.08 SAR 4.04

$0.34 MX$5.77

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.44 SAR 137

$21.58 MX$366

68.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.04 MX$34.65

-35.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$0.58 MX$9.82

370.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.45 SAR 50.5

$5.97 MX$101

125.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$1.62 MX$27.44

-63.58%

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

$45.4K SAR 170.3K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

98.82%

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

$18.8K SAR 70.4K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-29.65%

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

$110 SAR 413

$65.2 MX$1,108

68.72%

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

$27.31 SAR 103

$29.87 MX$507

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 SAR 328

$36.55 MX$621

138.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 SAR 444

$61.0 MX$1,036

93.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 SAR 114

$26.70 MX$453

13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 SAR 64.9

$6.85 MX$116

152.41%

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

$239 SAR 896

$453 MX$7,700

-47.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,380 SAR 16.4K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-67.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.72 SAR 77.8

$75.0 MX$1,273

-72.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 SAR 223

$55.3 MX$939

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 SAR 365

$114 MX$1,929

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.27 SAR 174

$123 MX$2,083

-62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 SAR 4,525

$1,134 MX$19.3K

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 SAR 1,300

$712 MX$12.1K

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SAR 3,268

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 SAR 1,222

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-75.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,389 SAR 8,970

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-40.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 SAR 5,135

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-34.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,768 SAR 6,638

$1,047 MX$17.8K

68.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

11.3

-68.14%

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

Last update for Taif: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,205 in Taif and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Taif vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $345 per month, with Taif 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

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

Taif and Mexico City differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,136 vs $1,646 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Taif, 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: $1,205 in Taif 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 Taif runs roughly 69% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $239 in Taif versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,136 in Taif versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taif 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, Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.