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: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,121 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Guadalajara versus $1,798 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Guadalajara versus $2,475 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 3% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Zihuatanejo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$185

$10.78 MX$189

-2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.56 MX$675

$38.53 MX$674

0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 MX$136

$8.01 MX$140

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.32 MX$58.1

-1.81%

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

$1.33 MX$23.23

$1.29 MX$22.50

3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$14.97

$0.98 MX$17.11

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$36.32

$2.35 MX$41.14

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$67.8

$3.89 MX$68.1

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.36

$1.43 MX$25.10

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$47.33

$3.57 MX$62.5

-24.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.65

$1.63 MX$28.59

3.68%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$42.12

$4.34 MX$75.9

-44.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 MX$162

$8.26 MX$145

12.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 MX$138

$7.73 MX$135

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 MX$181

$10.67 MX$187

-3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.70

$2.70 MX$47.31

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.39

$1.46 MX$25.50

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.95

$1.74 MX$30.41

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.90

$1.66 MX$29.05

-7.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.94

$1.90 MX$33.24

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.73

$1.95 MX$34.12

1.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.25 MX$21.93

11.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.52

$1.03 MX$17.96

8.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$76.6

$4.10 MX$71.7

6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$203

$10.50 MX$184

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.63

$1.62 MX$28.41

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$56.8

$2.75 MX$48.20

17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.57

$0.62 MX$10.78

-11.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.39 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$45.72

$2.60 MX$45.55

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.91

$1.59 MX$27.78

-3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$206

$8.43 MX$148

39.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.33

$1.31 MX$22.90

-2.29%

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

$24.0K MX$419.7K

$21.5K MX$376.4K

11.50%

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

$24.5K MX$428.8K

$22.1K MX$387.1K

10.76%

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

$31.09 MX$544

$56.8 MX$994

-45.27%

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

$23.67 MX$414

$10.18 MX$178

132.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 MX$467

$27.96 MX$489

-4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.77 MX$591

$35.85 MX$627

-5.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 MX$339

$15.66 MX$274

23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 MX$84.3

$4.58 MX$80.1

5.24%

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

$189 MX$3,304

$202 MX$3,538

-6.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,386 MX$111.8K

$3,555 MX$62.2K

79.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.80 MX$872

$53.0 MX$928

-6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 MX$890

$40.09 MX$702

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 MX$1,744

$89.7 MX$1,570

11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,625

$79.8 MX$1,396

16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 MX$12.6K

$502 MX$8,790

43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,631

$399 MX$6,988

9.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 MX$23.5K

$938 MX$16.4K

43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 MX$15.3K

$757 MX$13.2K

15.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 MX$56.9K

$1,967 MX$34.4K

65.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 MX$34.9K

$1,288 MX$22.5K

54.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$755 MX$13.2K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Guadalajara and $502 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $39.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $268 per month, with Guadalajara 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo wins on cost – living expenses run 3% 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 $1,736 in Guadalajara and $1,682 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: $719 in Guadalajara versus $502 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Guadalajara versus $202 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 $39.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,121 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,157 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 $1,121 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 3% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.