Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Zalau Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Zalau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $957 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,618 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,441 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,924 in Zalau.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez is roughly 10% more expensive than in Zalau, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez 21% lower, Zalau 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.75 MX$99.5

$8.03 RON 36.50

-28.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.97 MX$467

$35.03 RON 159

-23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$141

$5.82 RON 26.47

40.21%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MX$46.30

$2.12 RON 9.62

26.42%

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

$1.24 MX$21.40

$2.01 RON 9.13

-38.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.81

$1.71 RON 7.79

-56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 MX$39.36

$2.68 RON 12.17

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$60.5

$2.78 RON 12.64

25.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.44

$1.51 RON 6.85

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$46.55

$1.26 RON 5.72

113.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 MX$18.03

$1.40 RON 6.37

-25.71%

Eggs

$1.61 MX$27.89

$2.19 RON 9.94

-26.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 MX$110

$8.01 RON 36.41

-20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 MX$83.3

$6.01 RON 27.33

-19.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 MX$190

$9.00 RON 40.91

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.09

$0.88 RON 4.00

143.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MX$20.26

$1.51 RON 6.87

-22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.23

$1.62 RON 7.37

0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$2.21 RON 10.06

-75.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.74

$0.71 RON 3.23

198.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.31

$0.71 RON 3.23

154.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.00

$0.71 RON 3.23

46.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.78

$0.93 RON 4.22

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MX$72.4

$5.43 RON 24.68

-23.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 MX$174

$5.54 RON 25.19

81.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.56

$1.04 RON 4.71

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$49.42

$1.29 RON 5.86

121.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.47

$0.96 RON 4.38

-42.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.10 RON 91.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$45.82

$0.90 RON 4.09

194.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.53

$0.86 RON 3.90

186.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$183

$9.30 RON 42.26

13.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 MX$21.34

$1.59 RON 7.23

-22.64%

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

$22.6K MX$391.6K

$28.2K RON 128.0K

-19.59%

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

$24.2K MX$418.6K

$26.8K RON 121.9K

-9.75%

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

$68.7 MX$1,189

$142 RON 647

-51.75%

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

$10.76 MX$186

$4.51 RON 20.52

138.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.26 MX$420

$6.74 RON 30.65

259.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 MX$542

$36.23 RON 165

-13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 MX$274

$18.94 RON 86.1

-16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 MX$92.8

$5.88 RON 26.74

-8.84%

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

$374 MX$6,468

$432 RON 1,965

-13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,630 MX$62.8K

$7,001 RON 31.8K

-48.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.69 MX$669

$57.0 RON 259

-32.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 MX$1,045

$38.70 RON 176

56.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 MX$1,127

$64.1 RON 291

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MX$1,756

$70.1 RON 319

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 MX$10.3K

$392 RON 1,783

51.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 MX$7,422

$294 RON 1,337

45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 MX$18.2K

$587 RON 2,668

78.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 MX$14.8K

$430 RON 1,957

99.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,919 RON 8,724

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 RON 6,311

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 RON 2,876

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

6.5

73.08%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zalau: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $594 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $392 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $35.00 in Zalau. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $190, with Zalau cheaper for home cooking.

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

Oaxaca de Juarez vs Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zalau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,580 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,436 in Zalau to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $594 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $392 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Oaxaca de Juarez. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,054 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $957 in Zalau – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $957 in Zalau versus $1,054 in Oaxaca de Juarez, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zalau but tight or insufficient in Oaxaca de Juarez. The gap between the two cities makes Zalau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zalau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $957 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zalau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oaxaca de Juarez and Zalau 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 Zalau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Oaxaca de Juarez. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.