Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,157 in Guadalajara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,844 in Guadalajara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,530 in Guadalajara, rent included.

Ecatepec costs about 1% more than Guadalajara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ecatepec and Guadalajara are more affordable than the global median – Ecatepec 13% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$10.46 MX$181

25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 MX$810

$38.85 MX$672

20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MX$158

$7.99 MX$138

14.52%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.8

$3.19 MX$55.1

11.91%

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

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.38 MX$23.95

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.92

$0.93 MX$16.12

11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.6

$2.10 MX$36.38

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$81.6

$3.89 MX$67.3

21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.40 MX$24.25

-2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 MX$47.75

$2.65 MX$45.76

4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.89

$1.66 MX$28.80

10.84%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.66

$2.51 MX$43.44

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MX$141

$9.63 MX$167

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 MX$146

$7.67 MX$133

10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$204

$10.37 MX$179

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MX$51.6

$2.65 MX$45.77

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.76

$1.45 MX$25.16

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.19

$1.80 MX$31.20

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.01

$1.56 MX$27.06

26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.12

$1.80 MX$31.12

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.97

$2.01 MX$34.73

11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.94

$1.34 MX$23.12

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.08 MX$18.61

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.7

$4.40 MX$76.0

-5.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 MX$274

$11.22 MX$194

41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.62 MX$28.00

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.22 MX$55.8

12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.27

$0.52 MX$8.92

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.24 MX$506

$26.91 MX$466

8.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 MX$27.90

$2.71 MX$46.86

-40.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.23

$1.59 MX$27.58

-81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$11.68 MX$202

-53.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.72

$1.32 MX$22.83

-4.55%

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

$18.1K MX$313.0K

$24.2K MX$418.2K

-25.15%

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

$21.8K MX$376.8K

$23.7K MX$409.6K

-8.00%

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

$40.82 MX$706

$31.32 MX$542

30.33%

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

$21.53 MX$372

$24.53 MX$424

-12.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.74 MX$514

$27.53 MX$476

8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.17 MX$435

$33.01 MX$571

-23.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 MX$181

$19.54 MX$338

-46.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 MX$110

$5.03 MX$87.1

26.64%

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

$338 MX$5,854

$187 MX$3,228

81.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,545 MX$61.3K

$6,425 MX$111.1K

-44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MX$1,004

$49.73 MX$860

16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 MX$770

$50.8 MX$878

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$98.5 MX$1,703

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,858

$90.9 MX$1,572

18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,824

$706 MX$12.2K

-27.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,884

$438 MX$7,576

-9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$1,355 MX$23.4K

-32.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$842 MX$14.6K

-8.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 MX$14.2K

$3,208 MX$55.5K

-74.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 MX$13.9K

$1,998 MX$34.6K

-59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MX$10.1K

$797 MX$13.8K

-27.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.48

0.17%

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

Last update for Ecatepec: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Ecatepec versus $706 in Guadalajara. 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 37% higher in Guadalajara, 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $257 – making Guadalajara 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

Ecatepec vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,170 in Ecatepec, $1,157 in Guadalajara – roughly 1% apart. Ecatepec costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,756 per month in Ecatepec and $1,736 in Guadalajara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalajara, 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec and $39.00 in Guadalajara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,170 in Ecatepec and $1,157 in Guadalajara. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guadalajara, where all-in costs run around $1,157, than in Ecatepec at $1,170. In Guadalajara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ecatepec it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Guadalajara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,157 in Guadalajara to $1,170 in Ecatepec. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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