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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $998 per month in Balti vs $951 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in Balti vs $1,510 in Zacatecas, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,523 per month in Balti vs $2,068 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti costs about 5% more than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balti and Zacatecas are more affordable than the global median – Balti 25% lower, Zacatecas 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 MDL 144

$6.04 MX$105

36.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 MDL 643

$31.14 MX$543

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 MDL 135

$7.02 MX$123

9.83%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MDL 27.69

$2.87 MX$50.1

-44.95%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.96

$1.21 MX$21.13

-24.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.49

$0.74 MX$12.82

-12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 MDL 30.93

$1.89 MX$33.04

-6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 39.33

$3.90 MX$68.0

-42.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.44

$1.39 MX$24.19

-7.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.39

$2.14 MX$37.32

-80.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MDL 25.71

$1.54 MX$26.94

-4.55%

Eggs

$1.56 MDL 27.41

$2.10 MX$36.58

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 MDL 162

$6.99 MX$122

32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 MDL 79.8

$5.63 MX$98.3

-19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 MDL 156

$9.32 MX$163

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.84

$1.68 MX$29.27

-46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MDL 30.76

$1.44 MX$25.07

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 26.20

$1.80 MX$31.37

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.33

$1.41 MX$24.64

46.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MDL 13.19

$1.73 MX$30.11

-56.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.39

$2.00 MX$34.86

-70.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.66

$1.39 MX$24.24

-7.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.79

$0.82 MX$14.23

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 MDL 56.9

$4.22 MX$73.6

-23.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 78.1

$11.11 MX$194

-59.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 21.11

$1.60 MX$27.94

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MDL 35.01

$3.28 MX$57.3

-39.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.39

$0.52 MX$9.05

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.05 MX$280

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 MDL 35.52

$2.08 MX$36.35

-2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.37

$1.01 MX$17.53

-75.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 MDL 90.3

$11.58 MX$202

-55.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MDL 23.23

$1.25 MX$21.85

5.60%

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

$32.6K MDL 572.4K

$23.7K MX$413.8K

37.52%

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

$31.4K MDL 550.9K

$23.7K MX$412.5K

32.79%

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

$176 MDL 3,080

$22.56 MX$393

678.24%

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

$4.76 MDL 83.5

$8.03 MX$140

-40.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.59 MDL 186

$24.85 MX$433

-57.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 MDL 725

$23.95 MX$418

72.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 MX$139

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MDL 83.9

$4.06 MX$70.8

17.73%

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

$119 MDL 2,089

$190 MX$3,316

-37.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,474 MDL 96.0K

$3,222 MX$56.2K

69.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 MDL 1,156

$43.44 MX$758

51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 MDL 937

$43.12 MX$752

23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 2,000

$88.6 MX$1,544

28.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,114

$41.62 MX$726

189.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MDL 7,101

$238 MX$4,145

70.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MDL 5,212

$392 MX$6,843

-24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MX$6,431

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 MDL 25.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.4K

$596 MX$10.4K

66.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$618 MDL 10.8K

$437 MX$7,619

41.50%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Balti versus $238 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 42% 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 $37.00 in Balti versus $31.00 in Zacatecas. Groceries tell a different story – $176 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: $998 in Balti, $951 in Zacatecas – roughly 5% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,497 per month in Balti and $1,426 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 25% 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 $998 in Balti and $951 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.