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: $1,457 in Medina versus $1,180 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,845 in Medina versus $1,856 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,232 in Medina versus $2,533 in Guadalajara.

Living in Medina is roughly 23% more expensive than Guadalajara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina is 8% above, Guadalajara is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 SAR 20.50

$10.74 MX$184

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 SAR 121

$38.89 MX$667

-17.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 SAR 29.60

$7.95 MX$136

-0.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Cappuccino

$2.43 SAR 9.12

$3.17 MX$54.4

-23.34%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.86

$1.37 MX$23.58

-44.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 SAR 1.44

$0.87 MX$14.96

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 MX$36.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.43 MX$24.57

13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$2.59 MX$44.52

-64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.59

$1.64 MX$28.09

39.63%

Eggs

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$2.45 MX$42.00

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 SAR 24.45

$9.60 MX$165

-32.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 SAR 27.42

$8.06 MX$138

-9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 SAR 48.04

$10.07 MX$173

27.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 SAR 9.05

$2.61 MX$44.73

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.05

$1.44 MX$24.74

48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.05

$1.84 MX$31.57

16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.59 MX$27.35

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.71 MX$29.33

-20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.39

$2.01 MX$34.49

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 SAR 3.71

$1.31 MX$22.54

-24.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$1.08 MX$18.51

-22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 SAR 28.37

$4.39 MX$75.3

72.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 MX$190

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$55.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.51 MX$8.75

113.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.91 SAR 142

$26.21 MX$450

44.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.66 MX$45.65

-50.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.56 MX$26.73

9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 SAR 20.50

$11.83 MX$203

-53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.32 MX$22.68

-51.52%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

$23.6K MX$405.7K

-10.51%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.4K

$24.2K MX$414.6K

-11.32%

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

$201 SAR 755

$30.68 MX$527

555.44%

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

$32.95 SAR 124

$24.03 MX$412

37.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 SAR 382

$26.77 MX$459

279.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 SAR 291

$33.29 MX$571

132.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 SAR 33.59

$19.53 MX$335

-54.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 SAR 50.9

$4.81 MX$82.5

181.91%

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

$287 SAR 1,078

$189 MX$3,243

51.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,365 SAR 27.6K

$6,258 MX$107.4K

17.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 SAR 139

$49.66 MX$852

-25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 SAR 196

$51.6 MX$885

1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 SAR 253

$101 MX$1,729

-33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 SAR 362

$93.1 MX$1,598

3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,627

$697 MX$12.0K

-37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 SAR 2,114

$452 MX$7,750

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 SAR 2,723

$1,326 MX$22.8K

-45.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 SAR 1,569

$847 MX$14.5K

-50.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 SAR 8,553

$3,268 MX$56.1K

-30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 SAR 5,013

$2,003 MX$34.4K

-33.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,321 SAR 4,957

$788 MX$13.5K

67.60%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Medina and $697 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina pays 68% 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 $200 vs $257 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 23% 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 68% 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: $434 in Medina versus $697 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medina pay roughly 28% 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 $1,180 in Guadalajara versus $1,457 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 $1,180 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 23% less than in Medina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.