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: $1,468 in Medina versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,836 in Medina versus $1,873 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,204 in Medina versus $2,589 in Guadalajara.

Living in Medina is roughly 27% more expensive than Guadalajara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 10% above, Guadalajara is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 SAR 21.39

$10.55 MX$184

-45.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.98 SAR 120

$38.56 MX$671

-17.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.16

$7.75 MX$135

0.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Cappuccino

$2.44 SAR 9.14

$3.26 MX$56.7

-25.15%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.06

$1.33 MX$23.10

-38.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$0.86 MX$14.89

-54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$36.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$67.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.45 MX$25.22

12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SAR 3.66

$2.70 MX$47.06

-63.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.00

$1.69 MX$29.48

42.01%

Eggs

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$2.41 MX$41.88

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 SAR 24.36

$9.26 MX$161

-29.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 SAR 25.88

$7.90 MX$137

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.89

$10.33 MX$180

23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.80

$2.61 MX$45.44

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

$1.45 MX$25.24

43.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.15

$1.77 MX$30.77

22.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.54 MX$26.75

10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.18

$1.71 MX$29.76

-19.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.65

$1.98 MX$34.53

-23.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 SAR 3.83

$1.39 MX$24.10

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

$1.12 MX$19.41

-25.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.44 SAR 27.89

$4.38 MX$76.2

69.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$202

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$56.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.07

$0.55 MX$9.52

98.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.59 SAR 141

$26.39 MX$459

42.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$2.61 MX$45.45

-48.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$1.54 MX$26.75

6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 SAR 21.12

$11.75 MX$204

-52.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.28 MX$22.20

-49.22%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

$24.0K MX$417.3K

-10.84%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$24.5K MX$426.3K

-14.31%

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

$201 SAR 754

$31.09 MX$541

546.96%

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

$33.28 SAR 125

$23.67 MX$412

40.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 SAR 386

$26.68 MX$464

286.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 SAR 290

$33.77 MX$588

129.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.66 SAR 32.47

$19.39 MX$337

-55.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.29 SAR 49.83

$4.82 MX$83.8

175.73%

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

$291 SAR 1,092

$189 MX$3,285

54.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,315 SAR 27.4K

$6,386 MX$111.1K

14.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.64 SAR 141

$49.80 MX$867

-24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 SAR 198

$50.9 MX$885

3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 SAR 248

$99.6 MX$1,734

-33.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 SAR 364

$92.9 MX$1,616

4.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 SAR 1,578

$719 MX$12.5K

-41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 SAR 2,076

$436 MX$7,587

26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 SAR 2,712

$1,344 MX$23.4K

-46.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 SAR 1,563

$872 MX$15.2K

-52.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,312 SAR 8,669

$3,252 MX$56.6K

-28.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 SAR 4,981

$1,996 MX$34.7K

-33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,349 SAR 5,058

$755 MX$13.1K

78.63%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Medina and $719 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 79% 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 $199 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 27% 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.

Medina pays 79% more on average, 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: $421 in Medina versus $719 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 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 $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,468 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 $1,157 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 27% less than in Medina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.