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: $1,149 in Guadalajara versus $944 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Guadalajara versus $1,493 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,568 in Guadalajara versus $2,042 in Zacatecas.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 22% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Zacatecas 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$186

$6.02 MX$105

77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 MX$655

$31.09 MX$541

21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$141

$7.28 MX$127

10.99%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.4

$2.96 MX$51.6

9.46%

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

$1.37 MX$23.82

$1.22 MX$21.25

12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.74

$0.70 MX$12.21

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.24

$1.81 MX$31.45

18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.2

$3.79 MX$65.9

1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.14

$1.39 MX$24.21

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$46.91

$2.14 MX$37.21

25.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.32

$1.57 MX$27.26

7.01%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.26

$2.20 MX$38.31

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$160

$7.26 MX$126

26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 MX$138

$5.89 MX$103

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MX$174

$9.10 MX$158

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.04

$1.74 MX$30.35

55.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.49

$1.49 MX$25.96

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.48

$1.78 MX$30.97

5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.33

$1.43 MX$24.94

5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.80

$1.80 MX$31.41

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.61

$2.02 MX$35.16

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.37 MX$23.82

0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.75 MX$13.11

49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$79.5

$4.17 MX$72.6

9.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$195

$10.90 MX$190

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.16

$1.63 MX$28.32

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.11 MX$54.1

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.04

$0.49 MX$8.48

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.06 MX$454

$16.10 MX$280

61.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.35

$2.08 MX$36.19

27.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.10

$0.94 MX$16.36

71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 MX$205

$11.50 MX$200

2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.14

$1.30 MX$22.70

2.31%

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

$23.6K MX$410.5K

$24.2K MX$422.0K

-2.74%

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

$24.2K MX$420.9K

$23.9K MX$416.8K

0.98%

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

$30.98 MX$539

$22.53 MX$392

37.51%

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

$23.74 MX$413

$8.09 MX$141

193.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MX$472

$25.10 MX$437

8.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 MX$592

$23.52 MX$410

44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 MX$347

$7.80 MX$136

155.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MX$84.5

$4.15 MX$72.3

16.87%

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

$189 MX$3,296

$191 MX$3,324

-0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,333 MX$110.3K

$3,190 MX$55.5K

98.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 MX$859

$43.23 MX$753

14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$885

$42.35 MX$737

19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,737

$87.9 MX$1,531

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,621

$42.12 MX$733

121.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.5K

$239 MX$4,162

201.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,634

$403 MX$7,013

8.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 MX$23.0K

$366 MX$6,372

261.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.7K

$768 MX$13.4K

10.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,021 MX$35.2K

$590 MX$10.3K

242.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.9K

$435 MX$7,577

83.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

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

Last update for Guadalajara: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $239 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 83% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $221 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 22% 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 83% 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: $720 in Guadalajara versus $239 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $31.00 versus $38.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Zacatecas versus $1,149 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 $944 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 22% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.