Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Queretaro versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Queretaro versus $1,844 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,744 in Queretaro versus $2,530 in Guadalajara.

Living in Queretaro is roughly 10% more expensive than Guadalajara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Queretaro 5% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 MX$171

$10.46 MX$181

-5.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.14 MX$800

$38.85 MX$673

18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 MX$140

$7.99 MX$139

0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$62.4

$3.19 MX$55.2

12.85%

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

$1.31 MX$22.63

$1.38 MX$23.99

-5.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.54

$0.93 MX$16.15

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.33

$2.10 MX$36.45

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$3.89 MX$67.4

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.77

$1.40 MX$24.29

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.37

$2.65 MX$45.84

1.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.80

$1.66 MX$28.85

17.47%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.08

$2.51 MX$43.52

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 MX$140

$9.63 MX$167

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 MX$170

$7.67 MX$133

27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$223

$10.37 MX$180

24.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.65 MX$45.85

35.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.35

$1.45 MX$25.21

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.93

$1.80 MX$31.25

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.92

$1.56 MX$27.11

14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.90

$1.80 MX$31.18

-1.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.57

$2.01 MX$34.79

-6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.64

$1.34 MX$23.17

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.79

$1.08 MX$18.64

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$73.5

$4.40 MX$76.2

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 MX$296

$11.22 MX$195

51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$34.52

$1.62 MX$28.05

22.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 MX$57.3

$3.22 MX$55.9

2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.33

$0.52 MX$8.94

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.90 MX$414

$26.91 MX$466

-11.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$2.71 MX$46.94

15.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.40

$1.59 MX$27.63

-22.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 MX$163

$11.68 MX$202

-19.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.71

$1.32 MX$22.87

-0.76%

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

$20.0K MX$345.8K

$24.2K MX$419.0K

-17.46%

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

$20.6K MX$357.1K

$23.7K MX$410.4K

-12.98%

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

$63.4 MX$1,099

$31.32 MX$543

102.49%

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

$24.19 MX$419

$24.53 MX$425

-1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.06 MX$486

$27.53 MX$477

1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 MX$851

$33.01 MX$572

48.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$455

$19.54 MX$339

34.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MX$105

$5.03 MX$87.2

20.68%

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

$319 MX$5,536

$187 MX$3,234

71.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,824 MX$83.6K

$6,425 MX$111.3K

-24.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 MX$891

$49.73 MX$862

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 MX$729

$50.8 MX$879

-17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 MX$1,726

$98.5 MX$1,706

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 MX$1,661

$90.9 MX$1,575

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 MX$11.0K

$706 MX$12.2K

-10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MX$8,615

$438 MX$7,590

13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 MX$20.6K

$1,355 MX$23.5K

-12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 MX$13.7K

$842 MX$14.6K

-5.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,333 MX$40.4K

$3,208 MX$55.6K

-27.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,347 MX$23.3K

$1,998 MX$34.6K

-32.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 MX$16.0K

$797 MX$13.8K

15.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Queretaro: May 30, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Queretaro and $706 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 16% 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: $46.00 in Queretaro vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $257 per month, with Guadalajara 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

Queretaro vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Queretaro pays 16% 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: $633 in Queretaro versus $706 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guadalajara – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Queretaro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,276 in Queretaro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Queretaro. 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, Queretaro 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 10% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.