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: $1,352 in Medina versus $1,423 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Medina versus $2,301 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Medina versus $3,179 in Guadalajara.

Living in Medina costs roughly 5% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 2% below, Guadalajara is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 SAR 21.00

$14.50 MX$246

-61.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.04 SAR 120

$50.7 MX$862

-36.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.40

$9.55 MX$162

-15.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Cappuccino

$2.71 SAR 10.17

$4.09 MX$69.5

-33.74%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$1.73 MX$29.40

-53.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.26 MX$21.47

-81.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 MX$48.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 MX$95.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$1.95 MX$33.14

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$2.80 MX$47.58

-66.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.93

$1.77 MX$30.05

34.46%

Eggs

$2.03 SAR 7.63

$2.55 MX$43.32

-20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 SAR 19.80

$10.20 MX$173

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 SAR 27.11

$10.20 MX$173

-29.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 46.99

$12.28 MX$209

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$3.08 MX$52.3

-20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$1.77 MX$30.00

7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$2.11 MX$35.85

10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$1.89 MX$32.19

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$2.07 MX$35.25

-34.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$1.91 MX$32.38

-29.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.45

$1.53 MX$25.91

-39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 SAR 2.69

$1.13 MX$19.24

-36.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.46

$4.94 MX$83.9

53.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 MX$192

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$32.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$61.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.67 MX$11.38

62.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.59 SAR 141

$33.12 MX$563

13.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$2.32 MX$39.45

-43.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.50 MX$25.44

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 SAR 21.48

$12.86 MX$219

-55.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.59 MX$26.98

-62.89%

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

$42.4K SAR 159.1K

$22.4K MX$380.9K

89.03%

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

$20.5K SAR 76.9K

$26.1K MX$444.1K

-21.59%

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

$152 SAR 572

$54.2 MX$920

181.21%

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

$27.81 SAR 104

$24.01 MX$408

15.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.8 SAR 341

$33.35 MX$567

172.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 SAR 300

$33.67 MX$572

137.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.93 SAR 33.54

$12.14 MX$206

-26.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$7.15 MX$122

88.95%

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

$291 SAR 1,091

$276 MX$4,688

5.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,504 SAR 20.7K

$11.7K MX$199.4K

-53.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.97 SAR 143

$64.3 MX$1,092

-40.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$45.82 MX$778

17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 SAR 248

$114 MX$1,934

-41.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 SAR 260

$92.3 MX$1,569

-25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,131

$893 MX$15.2K

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 SAR 1,966

$521 MX$8,844

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 SAR 2,901

$1,734 MX$29.5K

-55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SAR 2,139

$1,055 MX$17.9K

-46.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 SAR 8,615

$3,293 MX$55.9K

-30.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,320 SAR 4,954

$2,087 MX$35.5K

-36.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,348 SAR 5,062

$845 MX$14.4K

59.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

11.68

-64.30%

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

Last update for Medina: September 6, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Medina and $893 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Medina vs $51.0 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $296 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

Medina wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $568 in Medina versus $893 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medina – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $51.0 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,352 in Medina versus $1,423 in Guadalajara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Medina but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Medina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,352 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medina 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 Medina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.