Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $961 a month against $1,297 in Guadalajara, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Guadalajara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index

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Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ecatepec and in Guadalajara

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

A single person spends $961 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,297 in Guadalajara, rent included.

Ecatepec $961
Guadalajara $1,297

A couple spends around $1,670 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,086 in Guadalajara, rent included.

Ecatepec $1,670
Guadalajara $2,086

A family of three spends $2,380 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,875 in Guadalajara, rent included.

Ecatepec $2,380
Guadalajara $2,875

Ecatepec is about 26% cheaper than Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ecatepec and Guadalajara are more affordable than the global median – Ecatepec 29% lower, Guadalajara 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 MX$206

$13.46 MX$249

-17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 MX$926

$43.54 MX$805

15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 MX$177

$9.11 MX$168

5.05%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$68.6

$3.83 MX$70.9

-3.13%

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

$1.62 MX$30.02

$1.68 MX$31.01

-3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$20.09

$1.21 MX$22.44

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$2.67 MX$49.40

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 MX$103

$4.90 MX$90.5

14.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.71

$1.80 MX$33.28

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$49.12

$2.57 MX$47.53

3.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.17

$1.63 MX$30.17

20.25%

Eggs

$2.75 MX$50.9

$2.47 MX$45.72

11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 MX$163

$8.84 MX$163

-0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 MX$168

$9.61 MX$178

-5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$249

$11.43 MX$211

17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$58.0

$2.77 MX$51.2

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.74

$1.66 MX$30.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.65

$2.05 MX$37.89

-0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.12

$1.84 MX$34.01

3.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$33.16

$1.99 MX$36.84

-10.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 MX$32.42

$1.78 MX$32.89

-1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$27.48

$1.51 MX$27.95

-1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$21.95

$1.08 MX$19.96

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$84.9

$4.68 MX$86.5

-1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.62 MX$307

$10.63 MX$196

56.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.93 MX$35.70

-0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$70.7

$3.31 MX$61.1

15.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.72

$0.63 MX$11.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.01 MX$573

$30.17 MX$558

2.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MX$36.81

$2.23 MX$41.17

-10.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.68

$1.34 MX$24.77

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$98.3

$12.26 MX$227

-56.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.48

$1.51 MX$27.85

1.99%

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

$21.5K MX$397.7K

$21.6K MX$399.2K

-0.39%

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

$23.5K MX$434.5K

$23.7K MX$437.2K

-0.63%

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

$57.7 MX$1,067

$48.89 MX$903

18.08%

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

$27.01 MX$499

$22.32 MX$413

21.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.74 MX$457

$31.24 MX$577

-20.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.37 MX$487

$28.26 MX$522

-6.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.00 MX$203

$11.12 MX$205

-1.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MX$120

$6.73 MX$124

-3.86%

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

$270 MX$4,996

$258 MX$4,776

4.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 MX$93.3K

$10.9K MX$201.8K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,092

$57.9 MX$1,070

2.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.94 MX$830

$39.83 MX$736

12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,855

$108 MX$1,989

-6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,826

$82.3 MX$1,521

20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 MX$4,487

$848 MX$15.7K

-71.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 MX$2,550

$490 MX$9,049

-71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 MX$12.6K

$1,534 MX$28.3K

-55.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 MX$8,205

$994 MX$18.4K

-55.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$755 MX$14.0K

$3,068 MX$56.7K

-75.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$755 MX$13.9K

$1,898 MX$35.1K

-60.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 MX$10.2K

$750 MX$13.9K

-26.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.68

-3.25%

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

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ecatepec

$298 31%

Guadalajara

$276 21.3% 7.2% $22

Eating Out

Ecatepec

$201 21%

Guadalajara

$216 16.6% 7.1% $14

Accommodation & Living

Ecatepec

$138 14.4%

Guadalajara

$490 37.8% 255% $352

Clothing & Footwear

Ecatepec

$136 14.2%

Guadalajara

$129 10% 5.1% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ecatepec

$109 11.4%

Guadalajara

$102 7.9% 6.4% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Ecatepec

$39 4.1%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 6.2% $2.4

Getting Around

Ecatepec

$38 4%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Ecatepec versus $848 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 36% higher in Guadalajara, 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 $50.0 in Ecatepec versus $44.00 in Guadalajara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $276 – making Guadalajara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as Ecatepec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,645,352

1,385,629

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ecatepec vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $961 in Ecatepec, $1,297 in Guadalajara – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,441 per month in Ecatepec and $1,945 in Guadalajara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, 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 $50.0 in Ecatepec and $44.00 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 $961 in Ecatepec and $1,297 in Guadalajara. That's a gap of about 35%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Guadalajara at $1,297. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guadalajara 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 $961 in Ecatepec to $1,297 in Guadalajara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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