Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Guadalajara versus $1,102 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Guadalajara versus $1,765 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,541 in Guadalajara versus $2,428 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 8% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 11% lower, Zihuatanejo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 MX$180

$10.41 MX$180

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.82 MX$672

$38.43 MX$665

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 MX$137

$7.79 MX$135

1.93%

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.2

$3.26 MX$56.4

1.53%

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

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.29 MX$22.36

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$14.99

$0.98 MX$17.03

-11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.62

$2.34 MX$40.55

-11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MX$65.5

$3.81 MX$65.9

-0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.02

$1.45 MX$25.01

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$46.79

$3.45 MX$59.7

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.57 MX$27.22

5.73%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$42.52

$4.33 MX$74.9

-43.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 MX$166

$8.11 MX$140

18.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 MX$136

$8.07 MX$140

-2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 MX$174

$10.71 MX$185

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.86

$2.70 MX$46.73

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.03

$1.40 MX$24.30

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.16

$1.71 MX$29.54

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.59 MX$27.50

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.00

$1.84 MX$31.79

-5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.68

$1.99 MX$34.43

-2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.27 MX$21.92

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$1.02 MX$17.73

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$77.3

$4.13 MX$71.5

8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 MX$197

$11.62 MX$201

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.30

$1.61 MX$27.78

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.78 MX$48.17

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.35

$0.65 MX$11.18

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.18 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 MX$44.80

$2.53 MX$43.82

2.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.74

$1.54 MX$26.63

0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 MX$202

$8.18 MX$141

42.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.01

$1.32 MX$22.81

-3.79%

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

$23.3K MX$403.7K

$20.9K MX$361.3K

11.73%

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

$24.0K MX$415.4K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

5.50%

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

$31.27 MX$541

$56.6 MX$979

-44.73%

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

$23.78 MX$411

$10.35 MX$179

129.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 MX$471

$28.61 MX$495

-4.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 MX$578

$35.59 MX$616

-6.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 MX$340

$15.59 MX$270

26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.3

$4.50 MX$77.9

5.78%

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

$193 MX$3,333

$206 MX$3,570

-6.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,278 MX$108.6K

$3,651 MX$63.2K

71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MX$874

$53.1 MX$919

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 MX$885

$39.28 MX$680

30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MX$1,724

$89.3 MX$1,544

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 MX$1,603

$80.9 MX$1,399

14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.4K

$503 MX$8,697

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 MX$7,734

$399 MX$6,901

12.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 MX$23.2K

$942 MX$16.3K

42.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 MX$14.9K

$758 MX$13.1K

13.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 MX$55.5K

$1,712 MX$29.6K

87.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,062 MX$35.7K

$1,257 MX$21.7K

64.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $503 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $38.00 in Zihuatanejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $270, with Guadalajara cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zihuatanejo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,781 in Guadalajara and $1,654 in Zihuatanejo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Guadalajara versus $503 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $193 in Guadalajara versus $206 in Zihuatanejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,102 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,187 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zihuatanejo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,102 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zihuatanejo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.