Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in Colima versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Colima versus $1,844 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,062 in Colima versus $2,530 in Guadalajara.

Living in Colima costs roughly 21% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colima 32% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MX$108

$10.46 MX$181

-40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.19 MX$540

$38.85 MX$672

-19.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$139

$7.99 MX$138

0.25%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MX$36.95

$3.19 MX$55.1

-32.92%

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

$0.81 MX$14.04

$1.38 MX$23.95

-41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.93 MX$16.12

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MX$29.47

$2.10 MX$36.38

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$49.18

$3.89 MX$67.3

-26.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.90

$1.40 MX$24.25

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.58

$2.65 MX$45.76

-4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.66 MX$28.80

-20.48%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.57

$2.51 MX$43.44

-8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 MX$102

$9.63 MX$167

-38.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 MX$136

$7.67 MX$133

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 MX$168

$10.37 MX$179

-6.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.39

$2.65 MX$45.77

7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.35

$1.45 MX$25.16

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.72

$1.80 MX$31.20

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.41

$1.56 MX$27.06

42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.52

$1.80 MX$31.12

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.13

$2.01 MX$34.73

15.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$23.01

$1.34 MX$23.12

-0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.08 MX$18.61

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 MX$60.8

$4.40 MX$76.0

-20.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 MX$117

$11.22 MX$194

-39.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.13

$1.62 MX$28.00

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.52

$3.22 MX$55.8

-39.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.32

$0.52 MX$8.92

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.15 MX$331

$26.91 MX$466

-28.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$40.90

$2.71 MX$46.86

-12.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.55

$1.59 MX$27.58

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$146

$11.68 MX$202

-27.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.32 MX$22.83

0.76%

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

$22.4K MX$387.3K

$24.2K MX$418.2K

-7.40%

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

$21.6K MX$372.9K

$23.7K MX$409.6K

-8.97%

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

$62.6 MX$1,082

$31.32 MX$542

99.74%

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

$19.75 MX$342

$24.53 MX$424

-19.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.68 MX$531

$27.53 MX$476

11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 MX$588

$33.01 MX$571

3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 MX$363

$19.54 MX$338

7.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$79.3

$5.03 MX$87.1

-8.95%

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

$142 MX$2,449

$187 MX$3,228

-24.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,404 MX$41.6K

$6,425 MX$111.1K

-62.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.41 MX$803

$49.73 MX$860

-6.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 MX$488

$50.8 MX$878

-44.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 MX$1,464

$98.5 MX$1,703

-14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 MX$1,715

$90.9 MX$1,572

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MX$8,798

$706 MX$12.2K

-28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,274

$438 MX$7,576

-43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 MX$5,759

$1,355 MX$23.4K

-75.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MX$9,265

$842 MX$14.6K

-36.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 MX$5,186

$797 MX$13.8K

-62.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

11.48

-3.57%

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

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Colima and $706 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Colima vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $257 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

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

Colima vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colima and Guadalajara differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($914 vs $1,157 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Guadalajara earns 166% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $509 in Colima versus $706 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 41% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $142 in Colima versus $187 in Guadalajara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,157 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Colima and Guadalajara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.