Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Guadalajara versus $806 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Guadalajara versus $1,275 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in Guadalajara versus $1,744 in Zacatecas.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 77% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 3% above, Zacatecas is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.50 MX$245

$6.90 MX$117

110.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 MX$856

$34.73 MX$586

46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$161

$7.83 MX$132

21.97%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$3.23 MX$54.6

26.63%

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

$1.73 MX$29.22

$1.38 MX$23.23

25.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.34

$0.78 MX$13.22

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 MX$48.50

$2.12 MX$35.80

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 MX$94.5

$4.55 MX$76.9

23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MX$32.94

$1.55 MX$26.15

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 MX$47.29

$2.31 MX$39.01

21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.87

$1.73 MX$29.21

2.31%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$43.06

$2.39 MX$40.43

6.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$172

$7.91 MX$134

28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 MX$172

$6.38 MX$108

59.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 MX$207

$10.37 MX$175

18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$52.0

$1.97 MX$33.19

56.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.82

$1.77 MX$29.87

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MX$35.63

$2.21 MX$37.38

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.54 MX$26.02

22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.04

$2.09 MX$35.29

-0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.18

$1.90 MX$32.07

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$25.75

$1.54 MX$26.03

-0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.12

$0.92 MX$15.49

22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 MX$83.4

$4.76 MX$80.4

3.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 MX$191

$11.57 MX$195

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$32.56

$1.81 MX$30.55

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$60.9

$3.53 MX$59.7

1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.31

$0.53 MX$8.98

26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.12 MX$559

$17.84 MX$301

85.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 MX$39.21

$2.42 MX$40.91

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 MX$25.29

$1.19 MX$20.13

26.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.86 MX$217

$12.89 MX$218

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$26.81

$1.59 MX$26.88

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

$22.4K MX$378.6K

$23.3K MX$393.8K

-3.85%

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

$26.1K MX$441.4K

$25.7K MX$433.4K

1.84%

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

$54.2 MX$915

$24.89 MX$420

117.64%

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

$24.01 MX$405

$9.09 MX$153

164.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 MX$563

$27.23 MX$460

22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.67 MX$568

$26.38 MX$445

27.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 MX$205

$8.77 MX$148

38.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 MX$121

$4.56 MX$76.9

56.80%

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

$276 MX$4,660

$278 MX$4,698

-0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$198.2K

$3,489 MX$58.9K

236.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 MX$1,085

$48.51 MX$819

32.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.82 MX$774

$45.71 MX$772

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,922

$97.1 MX$1,639

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 MX$1,559

$46.93 MX$792

96.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 MX$15.1K

$261 MX$4,414

241.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 MX$8,790

$176 MX$2,965

196.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 MX$29.3K

$414 MX$6,987

319.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 MX$17.8K

$264 MX$4,465

299.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,293 MX$55.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,087 MX$35.2K

$617 MX$10.4K

238.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 MX$14.3K

$452 MX$7,631

87.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.8

8.15%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: September 8, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $893 in Guadalajara and $261 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 87% 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: $51.0 in Guadalajara vs $35.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $245 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zacatecas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Guadalajara, 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: $893 in Guadalajara versus $261 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacatecas – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $51.0 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in Zacatecas versus $1,423 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zacatecas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zacatecas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.