Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Cuajimalpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Cuajimalpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Guadalajara versus $1,219 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,274 in Guadalajara versus $1,978 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Guadalajara versus $2,738 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 3% above, Cuajimalpa is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 MX$247

$11.56 MX$195

26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 MX$845

$47.40 MX$800

5.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$159

$8.86 MX$150

6.43%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$68.9

$3.87 MX$65.3

5.43%

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

$1.71 MX$28.90

$1.45 MX$24.49

17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$21.43

$1.09 MX$18.48

16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.38

$2.91 MX$49.19

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 MX$96.6

$4.36 MX$73.5

31.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 MX$32.71

$1.70 MX$28.66

14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 MX$47.49

$2.87 MX$48.47

-2.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.77

$1.74 MX$29.40

4.60%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.21

$2.55 MX$43.00

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$174

$9.07 MX$153

13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$173

$8.74 MX$148

17.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$12.60 MX$213

-0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$53.0

$2.98 MX$50.3

5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.81

$1.69 MX$28.54

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.55

$1.99 MX$33.53

8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$32.93

$1.96 MX$33.04

-0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.48

$2.09 MX$35.32

3.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.18

$1.91 MX$32.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.55

$1.53 MX$25.83

-1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.11

$1.20 MX$20.25

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.88 MX$82.4

$5.34 MX$90.2

-8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 MX$197

$11.59 MX$196

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$33.15

$1.94 MX$32.71

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.29 MX$55.6

12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.30

$0.75 MX$12.62

-10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.41 MX$547

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MX$38.72

$2.57 MX$43.40

-10.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 MX$24.45

$1.94 MX$32.72

-25.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 MX$221

$10.18 MX$172

28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$27.53

$1.53 MX$25.79

6.54%

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

$22.7K MX$383.9K

$23.0K MX$388.6K

-1.23%

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

$25.9K MX$438.1K

$27.8K MX$469.0K

-6.60%

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

$54.1 MX$914

$67.2 MX$1,134

-19.46%

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

$23.86 MX$403

$24.55 MX$414

-2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 MX$566

$35.69 MX$603

-6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 MX$575

$40.66 MX$687

-16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.91 MX$201

$20.12 MX$340

-40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 MX$117

$4.80 MX$81.0

45.00%

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

$270 MX$4,565

$239 MX$4,042

12.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$191.9K

$5,487 MX$92.6K

107.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 MX$1,076

$50.7 MX$855

25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$760

$38.64 MX$652

16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,926

$114 MX$1,925

0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,568

$101 MX$1,708

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 MX$15.4K

$660 MX$11.1K

38.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 MX$8,971

$430 MX$7,264

23.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 MX$30.2K

$988 MX$16.7K

80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 MX$17.6K

$943 MX$15.9K

10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,367 MX$56.9K

$1,684 MX$28.4K

100.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$34.9K

$1,234 MX$20.8K

67.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 MX$13.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.3

3.36%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $912 in Guadalajara and $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guadalajara vs $47.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $284 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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

Guadalajara vs Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,123 in Guadalajara and $1,828 in Cuajimalpa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $912 in Guadalajara versus $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Guadalajara versus $239 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $50.0 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,415 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Guadalajara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.