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: $922 in Taif versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Taif versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Taif versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Taif costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taif is 31% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 SAR 19.69

$13.18 MX$228

-60.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.17 SAR 151

$53.9 MX$932

-25.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 SAR 25.18

$9.42 MX$163

-28.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$2.92 SAR 10.96

$3.55 MX$61.4

-17.75%

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

$0.72 SAR 2.70

$1.62 MX$27.98

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.11 MX$19.27

-76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$1.70 MX$29.43

-19.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 SAR 0.96

$2.72 MX$47.02

-90.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.88

$1.91 MX$33.07

23.56%

Eggs

$2.56 SAR 9.61

$2.54 MX$43.86

0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 SAR 27.70

$10.03 MX$174

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 SAR 22.49

$8.09 MX$140

-25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 SAR 40.25

$11.62 MX$201

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.97 MX$51.3

-23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.81 MX$31.24

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

$2.01 MX$34.82

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

$2.03 MX$35.20

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.48

$2.12 MX$36.75

-31.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.27 MX$39.25

-31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$1.40 MX$24.22

-39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 SAR 3.65

$1.13 MX$19.55

-14.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 SAR 24.56

$4.27 MX$73.9

53.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$0.38 MX$6.62

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.19 SAR 151

$19.18 MX$332

109.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$1.38 MX$23.79

97.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$0.28 MX$4.78

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.18 SAR 49.45

$5.45 MX$94.2

141.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.30 MX$22.55

-53.85%

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

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

5.54%

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

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-13.59%

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

$73.2 SAR 275

$40.86 MX$707

79.17%

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

$28.41 SAR 107

$26.81 MX$464

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.5 SAR 332

$29.96 MX$518

195.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 SAR 285

$52.0 MX$900

46.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.04 SAR 139

$26.84 MX$464

38.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.58 SAR 66.0

$6.30 MX$109

179.05%

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

$264 SAR 991

$436 MX$7,544

-39.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,548 SAR 20.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-46.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.85 SAR 146

$56.7 MX$980

-31.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 SAR 158

$44.38 MX$768

-5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 SAR 300

$103 MX$1,780

-22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.88 SAR 176

$106 MX$1,825

-55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 SAR 804

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-79.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 SAR 649

$631 MX$10.9K

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,626

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-79.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 SAR 1,309

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-71.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,130 SAR 7,993

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-45.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,248 SAR 4,685

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-39.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 SAR 7,622

$1,115 MX$19.3K

82.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.34

-59.44%

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

Last update for Taif: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $214 in Taif and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taif vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $288 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 59% in total monthly costs ($922 vs $1,467 including rent). Taif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taif pays 82% more on average, 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: $214 in Taif versus $1,022 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 110% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $264 in Taif versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $922 in Taif versus $1,467 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.