Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Zacapoaxtla

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla: $1,055 a month against $1,298 in Guadalajara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Guadalajara, Mexico
Zacapoaxtla, Mexico
Guadalajara
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,298
/mo nomad
Zacapoaxtla
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,055
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guadalajara and in Zacapoaxtla

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 Zacapoaxtla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,298 in Guadalajara versus $1,055 in Zacapoaxtla.

  • Guadalajara $1,298
  • Zacapoaxtla $1,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Guadalajara versus $1,651 in Zacapoaxtla.

  • Guadalajara $2,082
  • Zacapoaxtla $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,866 in Guadalajara versus $2,246 in Zacapoaxtla.

  • Guadalajara $2,866
  • Zacapoaxtla $2,246

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 23% more expensive than in Zacapoaxtla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 5% lower, Zacapoaxtla 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.70 MX$255
$4.67 MX$87.0
193.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.79 MX$798
$48.73 MX$908
-12.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.10 MX$170
$5.50 MX$103
65.45%
Cappuccino
$3.78 MX$70.5
$1.92 MX$35.71
96.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.40
$0.95 MX$17.79
66.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$20.18
$1.22 MX$22.68
-11.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.72 MX$50.6
$1.20 MX$22.39
126.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.86 MX$90.6
$2.14 MX$39.86
127.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.65
$1.25 MX$23.35
36.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 MX$47.48
$1.12 MX$20.83
127.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 MX$30.34
$1.06 MX$19.84
53.77%
Eggs
$2.39 MX$44.63
$1.65 MX$30.82
44.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.94 MX$167
$11.41 MX$213
-21.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.70 MX$181
$4.56 MX$85.0
112.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.27 MX$210
$4.96 MX$92.5
127.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 MX$52.0
$1.59 MX$29.62
75.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 MX$29.81
$1.26 MX$23.58
26.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$0.52 MX$9.66
273.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.90
$0.72 MX$13.41
152.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$36.40
$0.77 MX$14.36
153.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 MX$33.04
$1.05 MX$19.58
68.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 MX$29.40
$0.92 MX$17.22
71.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$20.06
$0.96 MX$17.89
12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.84 MX$90.3
$4.19 MX$78.1
15.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.37 MX$193
$13.02 MX$243
-20.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.45
$1.11 MX$20.73
76.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 MX$62.9
$4.44 MX$82.7
-24.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 MX$10.81
$0.62 MX$11.62
-6.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.99 MX$559
$30.07 MX$561
-0.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.10 MX$39.19
$1.07 MX$19.85
96.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 MX$27.38
$0.53 MX$9.90
177.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.54 MX$178
$5.48 MX$102
74.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$27.15
$1.41 MX$26.30
3.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K MX$382.3K
$13.8K MX$257.3K
48.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.9K MX$427.7K
$24.3K MX$452.2K
-5.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.21 MX$899
$43.05 MX$802
11.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.37 MX$417
$26.42 MX$493
-15.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.85 MX$556
$31.94 MX$595
-6.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.25 MX$527
$30.23 MX$564
-6.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.00 MX$205
$17.11 MX$319
-35.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.80 MX$108
$6.33 MX$118
-8.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$234 MX$4,356
$439 MX$8,192
-46.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,974 MX$185.9K
$4,535 MX$84.5K
119.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.6 MX$1,037
$68.5 MX$1,276
-18.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 MX$733
$52.9 MX$985
-25.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MX$1,917
$106 MX$1,970
-2.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 MX$1,471
$114 MX$2,134
-31.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$921 MX$17.2K
$607 MX$11.3K
51.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$501 MX$9,338
$437 MX$8,150
14.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 MX$28.9K
$1,014 MX$18.9K
52.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,009 MX$18.8K
$752 MX$14.0K
34.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,432 MX$64.0K
$1,853 MX$34.5K
85.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,142 MX$39.9K
$1,018 MX$19.0K
110.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guadalajara
Zacapoaxtla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$760 MX$14.2K
$597 MX$11.1K
27.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.53
11.35
1.59%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guadalajara
$501
Zacapoaxtla
$437 12.7% $64
Groceries & Markets
Guadalajara
$274
Zacapoaxtla
$188 31.5% $86
Eating Out
Guadalajara
$216
Zacapoaxtla
$96 55.7% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Guadalajara
$125
Zacapoaxtla
$154 23.4% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guadalajara
$100
Zacapoaxtla
$101 1% $1
Getting Around
Guadalajara
$42
Zacapoaxtla
$36 13.1% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Guadalajara
$40
Zacapoaxtla
$43 7.7% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $921 in Guadalajara and $607 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Guadalajara vs $49 in Zacapoaxtla. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $188, with Zacapoaxtla cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Guadalajara
🇲🇽 Zacapoaxtla
🕒 Local time
13:59 1:59 PM
13:59 1:59 PM
Same time as Guadalajara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,385,629
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guadalajara Zacapoaxtla 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Guadalajara
  • Zacapoaxtla

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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guadalajara or Zacapoaxtla?
Zacapoaxtla wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zacapoaxtla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Guadalajara or in Zacapoaxtla?
Average pay runs 27% higher in Guadalajara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Guadalajara compared to Zacapoaxtla?
Rent for a central apartment: $921 in Guadalajara versus $607 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Guadalajara and in Zacapoaxtla?
Childcare runs $234 in Guadalajara versus $439 in Zacapoaxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Guadalajara and in Zacapoaxtla?
Dining out is cheaper in Guadalajara – a meal for two runs $43 versus $49 in Zacapoaxtla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guadalajara or in Zacapoaxtla?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Zacapoaxtla is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Guadalajara or Zacapoaxtla?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Guadalajara or to Zacapoaxtla?
It comes down to priorities – Zacapoaxtla wins on affordability, Guadalajara on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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