Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $995 per month in Balti vs $806 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,473 per month in Balti vs $1,275 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,951 per month in Balti vs $1,744 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti costs about 24% more than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Balti and Zacatecas are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Zacatecas 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 MDL 153

$6.90 MX$117

29.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.46 MDL 403

$34.73 MX$589

-32.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MDL 190

$7.83 MX$133

41.76%

Cappuccino

$1.83 MDL 31.37

$3.23 MX$54.8

-43.34%

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

$1.13 MDL 19.42

$1.38 MX$23.34

-18.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 11.67

$0.78 MX$13.28

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 19.49

$2.12 MX$35.97

-46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MDL 25.28

$4.55 MX$77.2

-67.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 MDL 21.52

$1.55 MX$26.27

-19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MDL 8.80

$2.31 MX$39.19

-77.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MDL 28.15

$1.73 MX$29.34

-5.20%

Eggs

$2.32 MDL 39.81

$2.39 MX$40.62

-2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 MDL 121

$7.91 MX$134

-11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 MDL 84.3

$6.38 MX$108

-23.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.55 MDL 112

$10.37 MX$176

-36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 MDL 17.33

$1.97 MX$33.35

-48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 39.34

$1.77 MX$30.01

29.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MDL 33.71

$2.21 MX$37.55

-11.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 MDL 42.49

$1.54 MX$26.15

61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 MDL 13.49

$2.09 MX$35.46

-62.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.22

$1.90 MX$32.22

-71.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 MDL 8.22

$1.54 MX$26.15

-68.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MDL 9.62

$0.92 MX$15.56

-39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 MDL 57.1

$4.76 MX$80.8

-30.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 MDL 80.6

$11.57 MX$196

-59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 MDL 25.12

$1.81 MX$30.69

-19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 MDL 35.13

$3.53 MX$60.0

-41.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.74

$0.53 MX$9.03

-37.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.12 MDL 294

$17.84 MX$303

-4.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 MDL 49.46

$2.42 MX$41.11

19.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.24

$1.19 MX$20.22

-78.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MDL 99.1

$12.89 MX$219

-55.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MDL 26.37

$1.59 MX$27.01

-3.14%

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

$34.4K MDL 589.9K

$23.3K MX$395.6K

47.41%

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

$24.8K MDL 425.4K

$25.7K MX$435.4K

-3.43%

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

$234 MDL 4,023

$24.89 MX$422

841.98%

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

$7.97 MDL 137

$9.09 MX$154

-12.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 MDL 203

$27.23 MX$462

-56.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.25 MDL 639

$26.38 MX$448

41.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 MDL 276

$8.77 MX$149

83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 MDL 132

$4.56 MX$77.3

68.86%

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

$115 MDL 1,981

$278 MX$4,720

-58.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,508 MDL 94.5K

$3,489 MX$59.2K

57.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.71 MDL 784

$48.51 MX$823

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 MDL 603

$45.71 MX$775

-23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 MDL 984

$97.1 MX$1,647

-40.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MDL 886

$46.93 MX$796

10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MDL 7,053

$261 MX$4,435

57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 MDL 4,992

$176 MX$2,979

65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 MDL 12.0K

$414 MX$7,020

69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 MDL 9,114

$264 MX$4,486

100.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,462 MDL 25.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,026 MDL 17.6K

$617 MX$10.5K

66.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 MDL 10.8K

$452 MX$7,667

38.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

-25.93%

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

Last update for Balti: September 5, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Balti versus $261 in Zacatecas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Balti, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Balti versus $35.00 in Zacatecas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $245 – making Balti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Balti vs Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $995 in Balti, $806 in Zacatecas – roughly 24% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,493 per month in Balti and $1,208 in Zacatecas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zacatecas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $115 per month in Balti and $278 in Zacatecas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 44% cheaper in Balti – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $995 in Balti and $806 in Zacatecas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zacatecas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zacatecas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.