Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Acapulco Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Acapulco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Guadalajara vs $974 in Acapulco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,858 per month in Guadalajara vs $1,448 in Acapulco, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,568 per month in Guadalajara vs $1,921 in Acapulco, rent included.

Guadalajara costs about 18% more than Acapulco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Guadalajara and Acapulco are more affordable than the global median – Guadalajara 14% lower, Acapulco 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$188

$10.66 MX$187

0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 MX$660

$32.14 MX$564

17.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$142

$11.30 MX$198

-28.50%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.8

$3.61 MX$63.3

-10.25%

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

$1.37 MX$24.00

$1.83 MX$32.12

-25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.86

$1.63 MX$28.61

-44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.51

$2.68 MX$46.93

-20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.7

$4.72 MX$82.8

-18.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.31

$1.61 MX$28.20

-13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$47.25

$3.18 MX$55.8

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.53

$1.55 MX$27.19

8.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.58

$1.75 MX$30.64

45.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$161

$6.37 MX$112

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 MX$139

$8.16 MX$143

-3.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MX$175

$10.45 MX$183

-4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.39

$4.37 MX$76.7

-38.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.67

$1.71 MX$29.97

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.72

$3.22 MX$56.6

-41.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.52

$3.09 MX$54.2

-51.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$30.01

$3.26 MX$57.3

-47.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.86

$2.80 MX$49.12

-28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.20

$1.20 MX$21.12

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.60

$0.81 MX$14.22

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$80.0

$7.79 MX$137

-41.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$197

$6.74 MX$118

66.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.36

$1.08 MX$18.88

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.63 MX$46.12

22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.11

$0.73 MX$12.84

-28.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.06 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.69

$4.21 MX$73.8

-36.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.30

$1.56 MX$27.31

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 MX$206

$8.48 MX$149

38.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.31

$1.32 MX$23.22

0.76%

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

$23.6K MX$413.5K

$21.5K MX$377.5K

9.52%

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

$24.2K MX$424.0K

$22.9K MX$401.1K

5.71%

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

$30.98 MX$543

$38.62 MX$677

-19.78%

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

$23.74 MX$416

$22.48 MX$394

5.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MX$476

$21.00 MX$368

29.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 MX$597

$18.38 MX$322

85.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 MX$349

$12.97 MX$228

53.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MX$85.1

$3.74 MX$65.6

29.68%

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

$189 MX$3,320

$156 MX$2,732

21.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,333 MX$111.1K

$3,663 MX$64.2K

72.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 MX$866

$63.1 MX$1,106

-21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$891

$43.08 MX$756

17.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,750

$108 MX$1,893

-7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,633

$79.2 MX$1,389

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.6K

$495 MX$8,691

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,690

$236 MX$4,146

85.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 MX$23.2K

$921 MX$16.2K

43.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.8K

$248 MX$4,357

240.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,021 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$14.0K

$479 MX$8,393

66.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.5

-0.17%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: July 12, 2026

Last update for Acapulco: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $720 in Guadalajara versus $495 in Acapulco. 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 67% 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 $38.00 in Guadalajara versus $32.00 in Acapulco. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Guadalajara vs $267 in Acapulco – so Guadalajara 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

Guadalajara vs Acapulco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara costs about 18% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,723 per month in Guadalajara and $1,461 in Acapulco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,149 in Guadalajara and $974 in Acapulco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $189 per month in Guadalajara and $156 in Acapulco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Guadalajara at $1,149. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guadalajara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $974 versus $1,149 in Guadalajara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. 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.