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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Balti vs $944 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,265 per month in Balti vs $1,499 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Balti vs $2,055 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti costs about 7% more than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balti and Zacatecas are more affordable than the global median – Balti 25% lower, Zacatecas 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.35 MDL 145

$5.96 MX$104

40.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.00 MDL 641

$30.67 MX$534

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 MDL 130

$7.07 MX$123

6.65%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MDL 27.75

$2.93 MX$51.0

-45.39%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.73

$1.23 MX$21.45

-26.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.22

$0.70 MX$12.27

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 MDL 29.95

$1.83 MX$31.88

-5.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MDL 37.70

$3.86 MX$67.2

-43.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MDL 21.35

$1.33 MX$23.19

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 MDL 7.44

$2.11 MX$36.78

-79.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MDL 26.14

$1.50 MX$26.10

0.67%

Eggs

$1.58 MDL 27.33

$2.14 MX$37.19

-26.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 MDL 166

$7.31 MX$127

31.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MDL 76.8

$5.83 MX$101

-23.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 MDL 151

$9.10 MX$158

-3.85%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 MDL 15.77

$1.75 MX$30.52

-48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MDL 31.55

$1.50 MX$26.12

21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MDL 26.35

$1.77 MX$30.83

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 35.82

$1.37 MX$23.76

51.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 11.94

$1.77 MX$30.85

-61.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.31

$1.92 MX$33.34

-68.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 22.57

$1.38 MX$24.08

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.41

$0.82 MX$14.18

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 57.4

$4.31 MX$75.0

-23.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 MDL 82.2

$10.97 MX$191

-56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 21.88

$1.56 MX$27.12

-19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 32.88

$3.15 MX$54.9

-39.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.36

$0.52 MX$9.06

-28.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.83 MX$276

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 MDL 34.72

$2.08 MX$36.12

-3.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.70

$0.99 MX$17.26

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 MDL 90.1

$11.58 MX$201

-55.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 23.53

$1.26 MX$21.87

7.94%

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

$32.1K MDL 556.3K

$23.8K MX$414.0K

35.07%

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

$30.8K MDL 533.1K

$24.1K MX$418.7K

28.00%

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

$172 MDL 2,983

$22.92 MX$399

651.96%

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

$4.60 MDL 79.6

$7.73 MX$135

-40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 MDL 185

$24.22 MX$421

-55.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 MDL 697

$23.67 MX$412

70.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 MX$137

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MDL 81.5

$4.20 MX$73.1

12.14%

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

$117 MDL 2,033

$185 MX$3,225

-36.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,367 MDL 92.9K

$3,206 MX$55.8K

67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 MDL 1,159

$43.77 MX$762

53.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MDL 937

$42.88 MX$746

26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,969

$86.1 MX$1,498

32.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 MDL 2,150

$42.12 MX$733

194.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MDL 7,121

$241 MX$4,187

70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 MDL 5,071

$397 MX$6,913

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 MX$6,519

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$13.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 MDL 25.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,025 MDL 17.7K

$612 MX$10.6K

67.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 MDL 7,478

$911 MX$15.9K

-52.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

11.48

-19.51%

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

Last update for Balti: April 26, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Balti versus $241 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 111% higher in Zacatecas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Balti versus $31.00 in Zacatecas. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Balti vs $220 in Zacatecas – so Balti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,006 in Balti, $944 in Zacatecas – roughly 7% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Balti and $1,416 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Balti and $31.00 in Zacatecas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% 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 $1,006 in Balti and $944 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.