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: $1,187 in Guadalajara versus $1,469 in Medina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Guadalajara versus $1,858 in Medina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,541 in Guadalajara versus $2,248 in Medina.

Living in Guadalajara costs roughly 19% less than in Medina, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 11% below, Medina is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 MX$180

$5.58 SAR 20.95

86.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.82 MX$673

$32.14 SAR 121

20.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 MX$138

$8.22 SAR 30.86

-3.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.3

$2.48 SAR 9.32

33.47%

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

$1.32 MX$22.94

$0.77 SAR 2.88

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$15.02

$0.39 SAR 1.45

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MX$65.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.61 SAR 6.04

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$46.86

$0.93 SAR 3.49

190.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$2.39 SAR 8.99

-30.54%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$42.59

$2.07 SAR 7.77

18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 MX$166

$6.75 SAR 25.33

42.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 MX$136

$6.99 SAR 26.23

12.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$12.76 SAR 47.92

-21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.93

$2.47 SAR 9.28

7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.07

$2.16 SAR 8.13

-30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.21

$2.15 SAR 8.07

-16.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.21

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-10.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.43 SAR 5.37

20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.73

$1.44 SAR 5.40

35.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$23.02

$1.03 SAR 3.86

29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.40

$0.87 SAR 3.26

28.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$7.44 SAR 27.94

-39.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 MX$197

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.18 MX$454

$37.40 SAR 140

-30.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.37 SAR 5.14

89.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.79

$1.69 SAR 6.36

-8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 MX$202

$5.46 SAR 20.50

113.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.04

$0.60 SAR 2.27

111.67%

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

$23.3K MX$404.3K

$20.9K SAR 78.5K

11.62%

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

$24.0K MX$416.0K

$21.6K SAR 81.2K

10.99%

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

$31.27 MX$542

$201 SAR 755

-84.45%

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

$23.78 MX$412

$32.18 SAR 121

-26.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 MX$472

$103 SAR 386

-73.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 MX$579

$75.0 SAR 282

-55.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 MX$341

$8.99 SAR 33.77

118.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.5

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-64.34%

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

$193 MX$3,338

$291 SAR 1,092

-33.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,278 MX$108.8K

$7,343 SAR 27.6K

-14.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MX$875

$36.82 SAR 138

37.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 MX$886

$52.8 SAR 198

-3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MX$1,727

$67.6 SAR 254

47.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 MX$1,605

$97.4 SAR 366

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.5K

$424 SAR 1,591

69.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 MX$7,745

$569 SAR 2,138

-21.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 MX$23.2K

$710 SAR 2,668

88.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 MX$14.9K

$419 SAR 1,575

104.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 MX$55.6K

$2,306 SAR 8,661

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,062 MX$35.7K

$1,364 SAR 5,123

51.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.6K

$1,338 SAR 5,023

-41.50%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medina: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $424 in Medina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 71% 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: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $32.00 in Medina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $201 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 24% 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, salaries run 71% 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: $720 in Guadalajara versus $424 in Medina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medina pay roughly 29% 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 $32.00 in Medina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,187 in Guadalajara versus $1,469 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 $1,187 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 24% less than in Medina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.