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: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $938 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Guadalajara versus $1,518 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Guadalajara versus $2,098 in Zacatecas.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 23% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Zacatecas 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$181

$6.26 MX$109

67.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$673

$31.34 MX$543

23.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$139

$7.13 MX$124

12.06%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$55.2

$2.98 MX$51.6

7.05%

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

$1.38 MX$23.99

$1.22 MX$21.10

13.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$0.74 MX$12.80

25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.45

$1.89 MX$32.70

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.29

$1.34 MX$23.26

4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.84

$2.15 MX$37.29

23.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.85

$1.55 MX$26.78

7.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.52

$2.19 MX$38.00

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MX$167

$7.15 MX$124

34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$5.73 MX$99.2

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$8.91 MX$154

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.85

$1.71 MX$29.61

54.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.21

$1.52 MX$26.28

-4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.25

$1.86 MX$32.18

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.11

$1.39 MX$24.09

12.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.18

$1.74 MX$30.24

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.95 MX$33.86

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.17

$1.33 MX$22.97

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.64

$0.83 MX$14.34

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$76.2

$4.20 MX$72.7

4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$195

$11.13 MX$193

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.05

$1.64 MX$28.37

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$55.9

$3.30 MX$57.1

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.94

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$16.12 MX$279

66.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.94

$2.06 MX$35.75

31.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.63

$0.94 MX$16.37

69.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$202

$11.49 MX$199

1.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.29 MX$22.43

2.33%

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

$24.2K MX$419.0K

$24.0K MX$416.5K

0.60%

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

$23.7K MX$410.4K

$23.6K MX$409.8K

0.15%

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

$31.32 MX$543

$22.34 MX$387

40.20%

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

$24.53 MX$425

$7.74 MX$134

216.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 MX$477

$24.97 MX$433

10.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$572

$23.61 MX$409

39.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 MX$339

$8.08 MX$140

141.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MX$87.2

$4.11 MX$71.2

22.38%

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

$187 MX$3,234

$191 MX$3,311

-2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,425 MX$111.3K

$3,154 MX$54.7K

103.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 MX$862

$43.97 MX$762

13.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$879

$42.04 MX$729

20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,706

$86.9 MX$1,506

13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,575

$42.14 MX$730

115.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$240 MX$4,158

194.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,590

$393 MX$6,809

11.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 MX$23.5K

$364 MX$6,305

272.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 MX$14.6K

$770 MX$13.3K

9.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

$603 MX$10.4K

231.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.8K

$910 MX$15.8K

-12.35%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Guadalajara and $240 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zacatecas pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $220 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 23% 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.

On paper, Zacatecas earns 14% less. 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: $706 in Guadalajara versus $240 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,157 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 $938 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 23% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.