Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalajara: $1,298 a month against $1,351 in Medina, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,351

/mo nomad

Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medina and in Guadalajara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medina and in Guadalajara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Medina versus $1,298 in Guadalajara.

Medina $1,351
Guadalajara $1,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,806 in Medina versus $2,082 in Guadalajara.

Medina $1,806
Guadalajara $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,261 in Medina versus $2,866 in Guadalajara.

Medina $2,261
Guadalajara $2,866

Living in Medina is roughly 4% more expensive than in Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 SAR 21.13

$13.70 MX$255

-58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.66 SAR 119

$42.79 MX$797

-26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 SAR 29.92

$9.10 MX$170

-12.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.77

$3.78 MX$70.4

-30.95%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$1.58 MX$29.38

-50.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.08 MX$20.17

-78.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MX$50.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$90.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$1.70 MX$31.63

-12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.66

$2.55 MX$47.45

-61.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.61

$1.63 MX$30.32

41.10%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.95

$2.39 MX$44.60

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 SAR 20.20

$8.94 MX$167

-39.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 SAR 27.24

$9.70 MX$181

-25.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 SAR 48.14

$11.27 MX$210

13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$2.79 MX$52.0

-11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 SAR 7.25

$1.60 MX$29.80

20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.78

$1.94 MX$36.15

20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

$1.82 MX$33.88

-14.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.30

$1.95 MX$36.38

-27.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.77 MX$33.02

-25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 SAR 3.38

$1.58 MX$29.38

-43.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 SAR 2.60

$1.08 MX$20.05

-36.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SAR 27.61

$4.84 MX$90.2

52.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$193

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MX$62.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$0.58 MX$10.80

81.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.74 SAR 142

$29.99 MX$559

25.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.10 MX$39.17

-37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$1.47 MX$27.36

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 SAR 21.42

$9.54 MX$178

-40.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.46 MX$27.13

-56.85%

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

$42.7K SAR 160.3K

$20.5K MX$382.0K

108.39%

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

$20.9K SAR 78.2K

$22.9K MX$427.5K

-9.12%

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

$148 SAR 555

$48.21 MX$898

206.76%

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

$27.56 SAR 103

$22.37 MX$417

23.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 SAR 334

$29.85 MX$556

198.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.9 SAR 292

$28.25 MX$526

175.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 SAR 33.18

$11.00 MX$205

-19.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 SAR 49.40

$5.80 MX$108

127.07%

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

$293 SAR 1,100

$234 MX$4,353

25.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,518 SAR 20.7K

$9,974 MX$185.8K

-44.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.11 SAR 139

$55.6 MX$1,036

-33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 SAR 198

$39.32 MX$733

34.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 SAR 247

$103 MX$1,916

-35.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.1 SAR 255

$78.9 MX$1,470

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 SAR 2,064

$921 MX$17.2K

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 1,999

$501 MX$9,332

6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 SAR 2,921

$1,549 MX$28.9K

-49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 SAR 2,179

$1,009 MX$18.8K

-42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 SAR 8,463

$3,432 MX$63.9K

-34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 SAR 5,110

$2,142 MX$39.9K

-36.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 SAR 4,716

$760 MX$14.2K

65.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

11.53

-63.83%

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

Last update for Medina: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medina

$533 39.4%

Guadalajara

$501 38.6% 6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$265 19.6%

Guadalajara

$100 7.7% 62% $164

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$193 14.3%

Guadalajara

$274 21.1% 41.8% $81

Eating Out

Medina

$104 7.7%

Guadalajara

$216 16.7% 107% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$104 7.7%

Guadalajara

$40 3.1% 61.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$101 7.5%

Guadalajara

$125 9.6% 23.6% $24

Getting Around

Medina

$52 3.8%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 18.9% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $550 in Medina and $921 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Medina vs $43 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $274 per month, with Medina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

23:06 11:06 PM

9 h behind Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

1,385,629

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medina Guadalajara 13,590 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medina
Guadalajara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 4% 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 65% 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: $550 in Medina versus $921 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medina pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medina – a meal for two runs $32 versus $43 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Guadalajara is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Guadalajara wins on affordability, Medina on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.