Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Medina versus $1,187 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Medina versus $1,864 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,248 in Medina versus $2,541 in Guadalajara.

Living in Medina is roughly 24% more expensive than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 10% above, Guadalajara is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 SAR 20.94

$10.38 MX$181

-46.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.14 SAR 121

$38.82 MX$677

-17.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 SAR 30.85

$7.94 MX$139

3.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Cappuccino

$2.48 SAR 9.31

$3.31 MX$57.7

-25.08%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$1.32 MX$23.09

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 SAR 1.45

$0.87 MX$15.11

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MX$66.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SAR 6.04

$1.45 MX$25.22

11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 SAR 3.49

$2.70 MX$47.17

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 SAR 8.98

$1.66 MX$28.95

43.98%

Eggs

$2.07 SAR 7.77

$2.46 MX$42.86

-15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 SAR 25.33

$9.60 MX$167

-29.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 SAR 26.22

$7.83 MX$137

-10.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 SAR 47.91

$10.08 MX$176

26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

$2.65 MX$46.23

-6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$1.50 MX$26.24

44.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$1.80 MX$31.41

19.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.51 MX$26.38

11.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$1.73 MX$30.24

-17.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.40

$1.95 MX$33.95

-26.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 SAR 3.86

$1.33 MX$23.17

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 SAR 3.26

$1.12 MX$19.53

-22.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.44 SAR 27.93

$4.47 MX$77.9

66.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 MX$199

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$0.54 MX$9.43

103.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.40 SAR 140

$26.18 MX$457

42.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$2.59 MX$45.16

-47.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.55 MX$26.96

9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 SAR 20.49

$11.66 MX$203

-53.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.27

$1.27 MX$22.19

-52.76%

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

$20.9K SAR 78.5K

$23.3K MX$407.0K

-10.41%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.2K

$24.0K MX$418.8K

-9.90%

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

$201 SAR 755

$31.27 MX$545

542.92%

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

$32.18 SAR 121

$23.78 MX$415

35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 SAR 386

$27.22 MX$475

277.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.0 SAR 282

$33.40 MX$582

124.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.99 SAR 33.76

$19.66 MX$343

-54.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 SAR 50.1

$4.76 MX$83.0

180.46%

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

$291 SAR 1,092

$193 MX$3,360

51.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,343 SAR 27.6K

$6,278 MX$109.5K

16.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.82 SAR 138

$50.5 MX$881

-27.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 SAR 198

$51.1 MX$892

3.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 SAR 254

$99.7 MX$1,738

-32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 SAR 366

$92.6 MX$1,615

5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,591

$720 MX$12.6K

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 SAR 2,138

$447 MX$7,796

27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 SAR 2,667

$1,340 MX$23.4K

-47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 SAR 1,574

$859 MX$15.0K

-51.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 SAR 8,659

$3,210 MX$56.0K

-28.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 SAR 5,122

$2,062 MX$36.0K

-33.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,338 SAR 5,022

$783 MX$13.6K

70.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

-73.87%

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

Last update for Medina: July 26, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Medina and $720 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 71% 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: $32.00 in Medina vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $258 per month, with Medina 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

Medina vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Medina. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guadalajara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Medina, 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: $424 in Medina versus $720 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medina pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Guadalajara – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Medina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,187 in Guadalajara versus $1,469 in Medina, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Medina. The gap between the two cities makes Guadalajara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guadalajara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,187 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guadalajara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medina and Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Medina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.