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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Yanbu versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Yanbu versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,081 in Yanbu versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Yanbu costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yanbu is 26% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 SAR 25.25

$12.98 MX$227

-48.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.95 SAR 142

$53.1 MX$929

-28.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 SAR 24.70

$9.72 MX$170

-32.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.10

Cappuccino

$3.68 SAR 13.78

$3.75 MX$65.6

-1.87%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$1.57 MX$27.46

-51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.13 MX$19.76

-79.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.62 MX$28.37

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$2.71 MX$47.36

-66.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.42

$1.88 MX$32.89

19.15%

Eggs

$2.71 SAR 10.16

$2.51 MX$43.90

7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.87 SAR 22.03

$10.08 MX$176

-41.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 SAR 28.62

$8.29 MX$145

-7.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 SAR 44.75

$11.94 MX$209

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$2.86 MX$50.1

-24.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.75 MX$30.62

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 SAR 5.42

$2.08 MX$36.48

-30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.72

$1.97 MX$34.46

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.71

$2.16 MX$37.79

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 SAR 3.78

$2.18 MX$38.16

-53.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.99

$1.39 MX$24.34

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$1.12 MX$19.69

-54.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 SAR 23.48

$4.20 MX$73.5

49.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$0.39 MX$6.74

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.80 SAR 123

$18.66 MX$327

75.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 SAR 11.82

$1.39 MX$24.26

126.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$0.30 MX$5.32

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.32 SAR 57.4

$5.42 MX$94.9

182.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.32

$1.35 MX$23.63

-54.07%

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

$25.6K SAR 96.1K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

35.72%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.6K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-7.16%

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

$108 SAR 403

$40.82 MX$714

163.50%

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

$22.12 SAR 82.9

$27.50 MX$481

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 264

$30.38 MX$532

132.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.9 SAR 364

$53.4 MX$935

81.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 SAR 133

$26.30 MX$460

34.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 SAR 49.25

$6.27 MX$110

109.41%

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

$322 SAR 1,209

$436 MX$7,632

-26.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,842 SAR 14.4K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-63.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.59 SAR 84.7

$56.8 MX$993

-60.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.69 SAR 81.4

$44.79 MX$784

-51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 SAR 250

$103 MX$1,799

-35.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.14 SAR 177

$108 MX$1,888

-56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 SAR 1,153

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-69.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 SAR 907

$620 MX$10.9K

-61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 SAR 2,277

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-71.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 SAR 1,517

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-67.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,459 SAR 13.0K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

224.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

11.34

-70.90%

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

Last update for Yanbu: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $307 in Yanbu and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 224% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Yanbu vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $286 per month, with Yanbu 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

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

Yanbu and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($986 vs $1,484 including rent). Yanbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Yanbu pays 224% 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: $307 in Yanbu versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yanbu runs roughly 76% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $322 in Yanbu versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $986 in Yanbu versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu 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, Yanbu 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.