Moving to Mexico from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Mexico — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, you would find that Mexico is 13.8% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly MX$1,239,770 in Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Mexico City averages 74°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → MX$1,239,770
To maintain the same standard of living in Mexico
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 30.2% more
Transportation
pay 24.0% more
Housing
pay 12.9% less
Childcare
pay 23.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.5% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Mexico cost about 4% less than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Mexico · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Mexico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Mexico leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Mexico performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Mexico leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Mexico leads in infant mortality.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Mexico. To live, work, or study long-term in Mexico, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Mexico's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Mexico
Visa Required
Mexico passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Mexico than Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: Mexico runs about 6% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Mexico?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around MX$309,942 in Mexico for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Mexico?
With 20.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
Is Mexico safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Mexico leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Mexico is 26.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Mexico compared to Saudi Arabia?
Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Mexico, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Mexico scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Mexico compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Mexico City is 74°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Mexico City receives around 32.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Mexico?
The official language in Mexico is Spanish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
