Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Mazatlan Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Mazatlan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,635 in Mazatlan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Guadalajara versus $2,259 in Mazatlan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Guadalajara versus $2,882 in Mazatlan.

Living in Guadalajara costs roughly 29% less than in Mazatlan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 14% below, Mazatlan is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$185

$10.49 MX$184

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.56 MX$675

$45.40 MX$795

-15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 MX$136

$8.44 MX$148

-8.18%

Cappuccino

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.39 MX$59.3

-3.83%

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

$1.33 MX$23.23

$1.38 MX$24.17

-3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$14.97

$1.03 MX$18.03

-16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$36.32

$1.99 MX$34.87

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$67.8

$2.57 MX$44.89

50.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.36

$1.47 MX$25.65

-1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$47.33

$2.55 MX$44.67

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.65

$2.09 MX$36.55

-19.14%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$42.12

$2.32 MX$40.59

3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 MX$162

$7.70 MX$135

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 MX$138

$6.51 MX$114

21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 MX$181

$7.37 MX$129

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.70

$2.69 MX$47.12

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.39

$1.62 MX$28.32

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.95

$1.77 MX$31.02

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.90

$0.74 MX$13.00

108.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.94

$2.18 MX$38.15

-21.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.73

$2.55 MX$44.56

-22.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.26 MX$22.11

10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.52

$1.08 MX$18.84

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$76.6

$4.07 MX$71.2

7.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$203

$16.08 MX$281

-27.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.63

$1.99 MX$34.89

-20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$56.8

$3.12 MX$54.6

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.57

$0.66 MX$11.58

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.39 MX$462

$39.44 MX$690

-33.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$45.72

$3.34 MX$58.5

-21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.91

$1.83 MX$32.05

-15.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$206

$8.16 MX$143

44.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.33

$1.30 MX$22.75

-1.54%

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

$24.0K MX$419.7K

$21.3K MX$372.4K

12.71%

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

$24.5K MX$428.8K

$22.3K MX$390.9K

9.70%

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

$31.09 MX$544

$56.0 MX$980

-44.47%

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

$23.67 MX$414

$21.20 MX$371

11.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 MX$467

$41.41 MX$725

-35.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.77 MX$591

$42.74 MX$748

-20.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 MX$339

$16.01 MX$280

21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 MX$84.3

$4.05 MX$70.9

19.01%

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

$189 MX$3,304

$83.3 MX$1,457

126.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,386 MX$111.8K

$1,899 MX$33.2K

236.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.80 MX$872

$60.5 MX$1,059

-17.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 MX$890

$26.06 MX$456

95.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 MX$1,744

$105 MX$1,835

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,625

$78.0 MX$1,365

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 MX$12.6K

$869 MX$15.2K

-17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,631

$874 MX$15.3K

-50.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 MX$23.5K

$1,404 MX$24.6K

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 MX$15.3K

$1,077 MX$18.8K

-18.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 MX$56.9K

$1,633 MX$28.6K

99.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 MX$34.9K

$1,087 MX$19.0K

83.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$755 MX$13.2K

$551 MX$9,641

37.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.33

1.32%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Guadalajara and $869 in Mazatlan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $45.00 in Mazatlan. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $248, with Mazatlan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Mazatlan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guadalajara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Guadalajara pays 37% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Guadalajara versus $869 in Mazatlan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mazatlan pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Guadalajara – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $45.00 in Mazatlan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,635 in Mazatlan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Mazatlan. The gap between the two cities makes Guadalajara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guadalajara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,157 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guadalajara hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guadalajara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mazatlan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.