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: $1,180 in Guadalajara versus $1,118 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Guadalajara versus $1,776 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Guadalajara versus $2,434 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 6% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 12% lower, Zihuatanejo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$184

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.89 MX$667

$38.36 MX$658

1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 MX$136

$7.97 MX$137

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MX$54.4

$3.32 MX$56.9

-4.52%

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

$1.37 MX$23.58

$1.27 MX$21.81

7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$14.96

$0.98 MX$16.75

-11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 MX$36.19

$2.33 MX$39.98

-9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.6

$3.82 MX$65.5

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.45 MX$24.83

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$44.52

$3.52 MX$60.4

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.09

$1.63 MX$28.02

0.61%

Eggs

$2.45 MX$42.00

$4.23 MX$72.7

-42.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 MX$165

$7.84 MX$135

22.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 MX$138

$7.77 MX$133

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 MX$173

$10.37 MX$178

-2.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$44.73

$2.71 MX$46.43

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.74

$1.38 MX$23.67

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.57

$1.76 MX$30.26

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.35

$1.60 MX$27.50

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.33

$1.91 MX$32.78

-10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.49

$2.02 MX$34.74

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.54

$1.19 MX$20.50

10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.51

$1.03 MX$17.65

4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$75.3

$4.13 MX$70.9

6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 MX$190

$9.42 MX$162

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.27

$1.59 MX$27.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$55.7

$2.77 MX$47.60

16.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.75

$0.60 MX$10.29

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MX$450

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$45.65

$2.56 MX$44.00

3.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.73

$1.56 MX$26.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$203

$8.15 MX$140

45.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.68

$1.31 MX$22.48

0.76%

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

$23.6K MX$405.7K

$21.0K MX$361.1K

12.35%

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

$24.2K MX$414.6K

$22.8K MX$390.7K

6.10%

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

$30.68 MX$527

$56.7 MX$973

-45.91%

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

$24.03 MX$412

$10.17 MX$175

136.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MX$459

$27.79 MX$477

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$571

$36.43 MX$625

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 MX$335

$16.13 MX$277

21.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MX$82.5

$4.62 MX$79.3

4.11%

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

$189 MX$3,243

$206 MX$3,530

-8.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,258 MX$107.4K

$3,561 MX$61.1K

75.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.66 MX$852

$53.3 MX$914

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 MX$885

$40.39 MX$693

27.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,729

$89.2 MX$1,531

12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,598

$80.1 MX$1,374

16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MX$12.0K

$505 MX$8,669

38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 MX$7,750

$392 MX$6,725

15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 MX$22.8K

$945 MX$16.2K

40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.5K

$763 MX$13.1K

11.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.1K

$1,994 MX$34.2K

63.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,003 MX$34.4K

$1,290 MX$22.1K

55.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$788 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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Guadalajara and $505 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 $257 vs $263, 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 6% 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 $1,771 in Guadalajara and $1,678 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: $697 in Guadalajara versus $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 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 $1,118 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,180 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 $1,118 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 6% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.