Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Medina Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Medina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,489 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,877 in Guadalajara versus $1,858 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,597 in Guadalajara versus $2,227 in Medina.

Living in Guadalajara costs roughly 22% less than in Medina, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 13% below, Medina is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$180

$5.72 SAR 21.46

82.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.00 MX$654

$31.54 SAR 118

20.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 MX$135

$7.96 SAR 29.88

-1.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.0

$2.48 SAR 9.32

33.47%

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

$1.36 MX$23.40

$0.81 SAR 3.04

67.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$14.92

$0.38 SAR 1.44

128.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$67.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.69

$1.68 SAR 6.32

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$46.35

$0.94 SAR 3.53

186.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.70

$2.29 SAR 8.61

-27.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.33

$2.14 SAR 8.03

17.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 MX$165

$6.70 SAR 25.15

43.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 MX$134

$7.08 SAR 26.57

9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 MX$175

$12.57 SAR 47.16

-19.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MX$47.11

$2.33 SAR 8.74

17.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.00

$2.11 SAR 7.91

-31.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.81

$2.14 SAR 8.04

-16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.30

$1.65 SAR 6.20

-7.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.96

$1.37 SAR 5.13

31.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.91

$1.43 SAR 5.37

41.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.81

$1.03 SAR 3.85

29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$0.81 SAR 3.04

32.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$78.5

$7.58 SAR 28.45

-39.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 MX$197

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$27.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 MX$56.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.51

$1.05 SAR 3.96

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 MX$457

$37.14 SAR 139

-28.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 MX$46.40

$1.36 SAR 5.10

98.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.42

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-3.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.42 MX$196

$5.46 SAR 20.50

109.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.16

$0.64 SAR 2.39

101.56%

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

$23.8K MX$409.6K

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

12.81%

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

$23.9K MX$411.7K

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

13.11%

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

$30.81 MX$530

$207 SAR 775

-85.08%

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

$24.61 MX$423

$32.61 SAR 122

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.91 MX$463

$105 SAR 393

-74.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.37 MX$574

$76.8 SAR 288

-56.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 MX$332

$8.75 SAR 32.83

120.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MX$82.4

$13.37 SAR 50.2

-64.17%

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

$189 MX$3,251

$293 SAR 1,101

-35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,305 MX$108.5K

$7,548 SAR 28.3K

-16.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 MX$874

$37.97 SAR 142

33.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 MX$855

$54.0 SAR 203

-7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 MX$1,685

$66.1 SAR 248

48.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 MX$1,566

$97.3 SAR 365

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.4K

$433 SAR 1,625

66.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MX$7,680

$558 SAR 2,095

-20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 MX$22.6K

$708 SAR 2,658

85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 MX$14.9K

$405 SAR 1,520

113.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,242 MX$55.8K

$2,295 SAR 8,611

41.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,042 MX$35.1K

$1,338 SAR 5,019

52.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 MX$13.8K

$1,323 SAR 4,966

-39.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

282.67%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: June 13, 2026

Last update for Medina: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $433 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 66% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Guadalajara vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $199 per month, with Medina 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 Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Medina. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guadalajara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medina earns 66% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Guadalajara versus $433 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medina pay roughly 30% 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 $38.00 versus $32.00 in Medina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,489 in Medina, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Medina. 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.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Medina 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 Guadalajara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Medina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.