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: $1,046 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $958 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,442 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,925 in Zalau.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez is roughly 9% more expensive than Zalau, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez 22% lower, Zalau 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 MX$102

$8.12 RON 36.74

-27.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 MX$455

$34.00 RON 154

-22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 MX$139

$5.69 RON 25.72

41.83%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MX$44.15

$2.08 RON 9.41

23.56%

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

$1.18 MX$20.32

$2.07 RON 9.37

-43.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MX$12.60

$1.73 RON 7.85

-57.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 MX$37.85

$2.78 RON 12.60

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$60.3

$2.80 RON 12.64

25.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.26

$1.51 RON 6.84

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 MX$47.02

$1.25 RON 5.67

119.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$18.37

$1.35 RON 6.13

-20.74%

Eggs

$1.60 MX$27.52

$2.23 RON 10.07

-28.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 MX$107

$7.88 RON 35.63

-20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 MX$79.4

$6.18 RON 27.97

-25.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 MX$191

$8.59 RON 38.84

29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.90

$0.96 RON 4.36

123.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MX$20.42

$1.52 RON 6.89

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.03

$1.58 RON 7.17

6.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 MX$9.49

$2.14 RON 9.67

-74.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.41

$0.67 RON 3.04

225.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.10

$0.71 RON 3.20

163.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.49

$0.66 RON 2.99

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.36

$0.91 RON 4.13

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.1

$5.52 RON 24.95

-26.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 MX$170

$5.35 RON 24.22

84.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.40

$1.04 RON 4.68

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MX$47.91

$1.30 RON 5.88

114.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.38

$0.94 RON 4.25

-41.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 RON 87.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$45.28

$0.97 RON 4.37

172.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$42.83

$0.79 RON 3.57

216.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.12 RON 41.26

16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.96

$1.60 RON 7.22

-20.00%

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

$22.8K MX$390.8K

$27.7K RON 125.1K

-17.67%

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

$24.5K MX$420.4K

$26.8K RON 121.4K

-8.69%

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

$66.2 MX$1,137

$143 RON 645

-53.55%

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

$10.61 MX$182

$4.54 RON 20.53

133.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.32 MX$400

$7.11 RON 32.16

227.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 MX$538

$35.50 RON 161

-11.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 MX$278

$19.54 RON 88.4

-17.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 MX$89.3

$5.64 RON 25.51

-7.80%

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

$364 MX$6,245

$423 RON 1,912

-13.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$6,962 RON 31.5K

-49.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.31 MX$658

$57.1 RON 258

-32.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 MX$1,007

$38.03 RON 172

54.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 MX$1,152

$62.4 RON 282

7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 MX$1,706

$68.6 RON 310

45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 MX$10.1K

$395 RON 1,788

49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MX$7,390

$294 RON 1,329

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 MX$17.9K

$598 RON 2,703

74.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 MX$14.6K

$432 RON 1,956

96.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 RON 8,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 RON 6,265

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 RON 2,936

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zalau: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $395 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $34.00 in Zalau. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $189, 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 9% 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 $1,568 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,437 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: $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $395 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Oaxaca de Juarez. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,046 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $958 in Zalau – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $958 in Zalau versus $1,046 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 $958 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 9% less than in Oaxaca de Juarez. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.