Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $730 a month against $974 in Balti, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Balti outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Balti
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Balti Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
Learn more

Zacatecas Living Index

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Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balti and in Zacatecas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balti and in Zacatecas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $974 per month in Balti vs $730 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti $974
Zacatecas $730

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Balti vs $1,155 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti $1,414
Zacatecas $1,155

A family of three spends $1,854 per month in Balti vs $1,580 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Balti $1,854
Zacatecas $1,580

Balti costs about 33% more than Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Balti and Zacatecas are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Zacatecas 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 152

$6.06 MX$113

40.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 MDL 403

$31.91 MX$595

-29.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MDL 185

$7.17 MX$134

44.35%

Cappuccino

$1.74 MDL 31.14

$3.01 MX$56.2

-42.19%

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

$1.06 MDL 19.00

$1.25 MX$23.33

-15.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.70

$0.72 MX$13.37

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 MDL 20.09

$1.84 MX$34.23

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.61

$4.13 MX$77.0

-66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.54

$1.35 MX$25.17

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.03

$2.15 MX$39.99

-79.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 27.47

$1.53 MX$28.43

0.65%

Eggs

$2.15 MDL 38.48

$2.21 MX$41.15

-2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MDL 121

$7.28 MX$136

-6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MDL 84.1

$5.96 MX$111

-21.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MDL 111

$9.62 MX$179

-35.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.68

$1.78 MX$33.14

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 41.03

$1.59 MX$29.65

44.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.65

$1.93 MX$35.90

-2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.87

$1.46 MX$27.17

56.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.77

$1.99 MX$37.01

-64.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.21

$1.77 MX$33.00

-70.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.71

$1.58 MX$29.48

-72.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MDL 9.73

$0.80 MX$14.89

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MDL 58.5

$4.25 MX$79.2

-23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 77.6

$10.27 MX$191

-57.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.21

$1.60 MX$29.78

-15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.67

$3.35 MX$62.5

-40.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.15

$0.53 MX$9.83

-35.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 300

$16.07 MX$299

4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 MDL 49.41

$2.13 MX$39.75

29.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.25

$1.11 MX$20.67

-78.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MDL 97.4

$9.49 MX$177

-42.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MDL 29.00

$1.46 MX$27.20

10.96%

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

$33.4K MDL 597.1K

$20.9K MX$389.9K

59.66%

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

$24.1K MDL 430.5K

$23.8K MX$443.3K

1.25%

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

$220 MDL 3,942

$22.72 MX$424

870.42%

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

$7.74 MDL 138

$7.97 MX$149

-2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

$24.73 MX$461

-55.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 659

$24.23 MX$452

52.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

$7.96 MX$148

92.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 MDL 136

$4.24 MX$79.1

79.48%

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

$113 MDL 2,012

$235 MX$4,379

-52.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 MDL 91.4K

$3,243 MX$60.5K

57.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MDL 794

$44.83 MX$836

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.84 MDL 605

$40.16 MX$749

-15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 MDL 994

$90.7 MX$1,690

-38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 MDL 910

$42.77 MX$797

19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,093

$241 MX$4,498

64.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 5,004

$162 MX$3,024

72.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

$381 MX$7,095

72.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,859

$241 MX$4,489

105.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 25.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

$563 MX$10.5K

76.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MDL 10.8K

$408 MX$7,603

48.51%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balti

$280 28.7%

Zacatecas

$162 22.2% 42% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balti

$239 24.6%

Zacatecas

$55 7.6% 76.8% $184

Groceries & Markets

Balti

$162 16.7%

Zacatecas

$224 30.7% 38.3% $62

Eating Out

Balti

$135 13.9%

Zacatecas

$131 18% 2.8% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Balti

$83 8.5%

Zacatecas

$98 13.5% 18.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Balti

$52 5.4%

Zacatecas

$33 4.5% 37.1% $19

Getting Around

Balti

$22 2.3%

Zacatecas

$26 3.5% 16.9% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 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 49% higher in Balti. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Balti versus $32 in Zacatecas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $224 – making Balti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Balti

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

8 h behind Balti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,800

138,444

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Balti Zacatecas 10,750 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Balti
Zacatecas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $974 in Balti, $730 in Zacatecas – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Balti and $1,096 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $241 there versus $397 in Balti.

Kindergarten costs $113 per month in Balti and $235 in Zacatecas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% 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 $974 in Balti and $730 in Zacatecas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.