Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Ecatepec

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.

63

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,297

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guadalajara and in Ecatepec

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

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

Guadalajara $1,297
Ecatepec $961

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

Guadalajara $2,086
Ecatepec $1,670

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

Guadalajara $2,875
Ecatepec $2,380

Guadalajara costs about 35% more than Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.46 MX$249

$11.14 MX$206

20.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 MX$805

$50.1 MX$926

-13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 MX$168

$9.57 MX$177

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$3.83 MX$70.9

$3.71 MX$68.6

3.23%

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

$1.68 MX$31.01

$1.62 MX$30.02

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.44

$1.09 MX$20.09

11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.40

$3.38 MX$62.5

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$90.5

$5.59 MX$103

-12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MX$33.28

$1.72 MX$31.71

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$47.53

$2.66 MX$49.12

-3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$30.17

$1.96 MX$36.17

-16.84%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$45.72

$2.75 MX$50.9

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 MX$163

$8.82 MX$163

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 MX$178

$9.12 MX$168

5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 MX$211

$13.47 MX$249

-15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MX$51.2

$3.14 MX$58.0

-11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.71

$1.66 MX$30.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.89

$2.04 MX$37.65

0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$34.01

$1.90 MX$35.12

-3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.84

$1.79 MX$33.16

11.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 MX$32.89

$1.75 MX$32.42

1.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$27.95

$1.49 MX$27.48

1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$19.96

$1.19 MX$21.95

-9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 MX$86.5

$4.59 MX$84.9

1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 MX$196

$16.62 MX$307

-36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$35.70

$1.92 MX$35.43

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 MX$61.1

$3.83 MX$70.7

-13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.62

$0.63 MX$11.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.17 MX$558

$31.01 MX$573

-2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 MX$41.17

$1.99 MX$36.81

12.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 MX$24.77

$0.52 MX$9.68

157.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 MX$227

$5.32 MX$98.3

130.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.85

$1.54 MX$28.48

-1.95%

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

$21.6K MX$399.2K

$21.5K MX$397.7K

0.39%

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

$23.7K MX$437.2K

$23.5K MX$434.5K

0.64%

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

$48.89 MX$903

$57.7 MX$1,067

-15.31%

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

$22.32 MX$413

$27.01 MX$499

-17.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$577

$24.74 MX$457

26.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.26 MX$522

$26.37 MX$487

7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 MX$205

$11.00 MX$203

1.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 MX$124

$6.47 MX$120

4.02%

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

$258 MX$4,776

$270 MX$4,996

-4.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MX$201.8K

$5,048 MX$93.3K

116.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 MX$1,070

$59.1 MX$1,092

-2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.83 MX$736

$44.94 MX$830

-11.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,989

$100 MX$1,855

7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 MX$1,521

$98.8 MX$1,826

-16.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 MX$15.7K

$243 MX$4,487

249.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MX$9,049

$138 MX$2,550

254.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 MX$28.3K

$683 MX$12.6K

124.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$18.4K

$444 MX$8,205

123.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,068 MX$56.7K

$755 MX$14.0K

306.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 MX$35.1K

$755 MX$13.9K

151.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 MX$13.9K

$553 MX$10.2K

35.58%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guadalajara

$490 37.8%

Ecatepec

$138 14.4% 71.8% $352

Groceries & Markets

Guadalajara

$276 21.3%

Ecatepec

$298 31% 7.8% $22

Eating Out

Guadalajara

$216 16.6%

Ecatepec

$201 21% 6.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalajara

$129 10%

Ecatepec

$136 14.2% 5.4% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalajara

$102 7.9%

Ecatepec

$109 11.4% 6.9% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalajara

$42 3.2%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 5.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Guadalajara

$42 3.2%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 8.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

Same time as Guadalajara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,385,629

1,645,352

💱 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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Guadalajara Ecatepec 460 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Guadalajara and $1,441 in Ecatepec. 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 $44.00 in Guadalajara and $50.0 in Ecatepec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Guadalajara and $961 in Ecatepec. 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.