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: $1,375 in Guadalajara versus $1,364 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,241 in Guadalajara versus $1,828 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Guadalajara versus $2,292 in Medina.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 1% more expensive than in Medina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guadalajara 0% above, Medina 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 MX$256

$5.60 SAR 21.04

164.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.81 MX$842

$32.12 SAR 121

51.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 MX$162

$8.10 SAR 30.41

16.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Cappuccino

$4.06 MX$70.1

$2.61 SAR 9.80

55.56%

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

$1.79 MX$30.94

$0.75 SAR 2.81

138.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.54

$0.23 SAR 0.86

469.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$50.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$93.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MX$32.89

$1.45 SAR 5.43

31.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 MX$48.54

$0.93 SAR 3.50

202.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.80

$2.31 SAR 8.68

-25.11%

Eggs

$2.58 MX$44.56

$2.01 SAR 7.55

28.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 MX$177

$5.20 SAR 19.55

97.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 MX$175

$7.13 SAR 26.77

42.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 MX$214

$12.72 SAR 47.77

-2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.43 SAR 9.13

25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.94

$1.97 SAR 7.38

-11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.71

$2.37 SAR 8.91

-12.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.86

$1.49 SAR 5.60

31.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.04

$1.42 SAR 5.33

51.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.43

$1.35 SAR 5.07

39.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.30

$0.92 SAR 3.47

66.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.42

$0.71 SAR 2.67

59.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 MX$87.6

$7.48 SAR 28.08

-32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$199

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$33.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.55

$1.06 SAR 3.97

-42.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 MX$568

$37.52 SAR 141

-12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MX$39.40

$1.34 SAR 5.04

70.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 MX$25.35

$1.63 SAR 6.11

-9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.00 MX$224

$5.53 SAR 20.76

135.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$28.13

$0.60 SAR 2.24

171.67%

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

$22.2K MX$382.0K

$41.3K SAR 155.0K

-46.30%

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

$25.4K MX$437.6K

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

21.12%

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

$54.0 MX$931

$148 SAR 555

-63.46%

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

$24.30 MX$419

$28.17 SAR 106

-13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.34 MX$575

$89.8 SAR 337

-62.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.73 MX$564

$78.0 SAR 293

-58.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 MX$207

$8.65 SAR 32.49

38.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 MX$123

$13.19 SAR 49.53

-46.02%

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

$276 MX$4,761

$291 SAR 1,091

-4.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$199.2K

$5,465 SAR 20.5K

111.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MX$1,091

$38.06 SAR 143

66.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 MX$785

$52.3 SAR 197

-13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,935

$67.3 SAR 253

66.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,588

$70.5 SAR 265

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MX$15.2K

$549 SAR 2,061

61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MX$9,073

$517 SAR 1,944

1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 MX$30.4K

$756 SAR 2,840

132.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 MX$17.9K

$569 SAR 2,138

82.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,351 MX$57.8K

$2,322 SAR 8,722

44.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 MX$35.7K

$1,339 SAR 5,028

54.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$824 MX$14.2K

$1,237 SAR 4,644

-33.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

4.17

180.10%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Guadalajara and $549 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guadalajara vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $191 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

Medina wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Medina. 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: $884 in Guadalajara versus $549 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medina – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $49.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,364 in Medina versus $1,375 in Guadalajara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Medina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,364 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medina 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 Medina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.