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: $1,541 in Queretaro versus $1,415 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,316 in Queretaro versus $2,274 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,091 in Queretaro versus $3,132 in Guadalajara.

Living in Queretaro is roughly 9% more expensive than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queretaro 12% above, Guadalajara 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 MX$200

$14.61 MX$247

-19.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 MX$1,124

$50.0 MX$846

32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 MX$164

$9.43 MX$159

2.97%

Cappuccino

$3.91 MX$66.1

$4.08 MX$69.0

-4.17%

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

$1.85 MX$31.22

$1.71 MX$28.93

8.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.54

$1.27 MX$21.46

-8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MX$65.9

$2.92 MX$49.44

33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 MX$100

$5.72 MX$96.7

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MX$33.60

$1.94 MX$32.75

2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$48.53

$2.81 MX$47.55

2.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.43

$1.82 MX$30.81

18.68%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$48.78

$2.62 MX$44.26

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 MX$157

$10.31 MX$174

-10.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 MX$160

$10.24 MX$173

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 MX$249

$12.49 MX$211

18.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.14 MX$53.1

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$28.86

$1.77 MX$29.85

-3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$39.61

$2.16 MX$36.60

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$35.62

$1.95 MX$32.97

8.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.10

$2.16 MX$36.52

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$32.98

$1.91 MX$32.21

2.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.74

$1.51 MX$25.58

4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$21.46

$1.19 MX$20.13

6.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$80.9

$4.88 MX$82.5

-1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 MX$325

$11.68 MX$197

64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 MX$40.47

$1.96 MX$33.18

21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$75.3

$3.70 MX$62.6

20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.81

$0.67 MX$11.31

-4.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.02 MX$457

$32.41 MX$548

-16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 MX$58.2

$2.29 MX$38.76

50.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 MX$48.04

$1.45 MX$24.48

95.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 MX$198

$13.09 MX$221

-10.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.17

$1.63 MX$27.56

-1.23%

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

$23.2K MX$392.2K

$22.7K MX$384.3K

2.06%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$25.9K MX$438.6K

-0.00%

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

$64.6 MX$1,092

$54.1 MX$915

19.45%

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

$29.23 MX$494

$23.86 MX$403

22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.98 MX$456

$33.51 MX$566

-19.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 MX$1,046

$34.05 MX$576

81.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 MX$445

$11.91 MX$201

121.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 MX$134

$6.96 MX$118

14.37%

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

$282 MX$4,774

$270 MX$4,570

4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,412 MX$91.5K

$11.4K MX$192.2K

-52.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 MX$961

$63.7 MX$1,077

-10.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.42 MX$802

$45.02 MX$761

5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,803

$114 MX$1,928

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,779

$92.9 MX$1,570

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 MX$15.7K

$912 MX$15.4K

1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 MX$10.2K

$531 MX$8,981

13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 MX$27.1K

$1,787 MX$30.2K

-10.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 MX$15.0K

$1,044 MX$17.6K

-15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 MX$40.6K

$3,367 MX$56.9K

-28.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 MX$22.9K

$2,069 MX$35.0K

-34.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$16.0K

$794 MX$13.4K

19.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.68

2.65%

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

Last update for Queretaro: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Queretaro and $912 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 19% 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: $67.0 in Queretaro vs $50.0 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $301 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 9% 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.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Queretaro, 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: $927 in Queretaro versus $912 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $50.0 versus $67.0 in Queretaro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,415 in Guadalajara versus $1,541 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 $1,415 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 9% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.