Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,130 a month against $1,273 in Guadalajara, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Fernando
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,130
/mo nomad
Guadalajara
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Fernando and in Guadalajara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Fernando and in Guadalajara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in San Fernando versus $1,273 in Guadalajara.

  • San Fernando $1,130
  • Guadalajara $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,832 in San Fernando versus $2,041 in Guadalajara.

  • San Fernando $1,832
  • Guadalajara $2,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,534 in San Fernando versus $2,810 in Guadalajara.

  • San Fernando $2,534
  • Guadalajara $2,810

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 11% less than in Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 17% lower, Guadalajara 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$13.72 MX$254
-21.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.30 MX$800
$43.18 MX$798
0.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 MX$156
$9.32 MX$172
-9.66%
Cappuccino
$3.63 MX$67.0
$3.76 MX$69.5
-3.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 MX$26.21
$1.66 MX$30.62
-14.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.52
$1.19 MX$22.08
-10.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.42 MX$44.65
$2.67 MX$49.31
-9.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 MX$76.7
$4.80 MX$88.7
-13.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 MX$29.59
$1.75 MX$32.32
-8.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 MX$49.57
$2.54 MX$47.00
5.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 MX$31.53
$1.55 MX$28.68
10.32%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.78
$2.42 MX$44.71
4.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 MX$151
$8.76 MX$162
-6.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.27 MX$153
$9.30 MX$172
-11.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.60 MX$214
$11.53 MX$213
0.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 MX$49.25
$2.71 MX$50.1
-1.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 MX$29.50
$1.62 MX$29.91
-1.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.32
$1.89 MX$34.98
4.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.84 MX$33.96
$1.79 MX$33.14
2.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.36
$2.06 MX$38.08
-4.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.57
$1.82 MX$33.62
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.41
$1.51 MX$27.84
-5.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 MX$21.00
$1.05 MX$19.40
8.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 MX$79.9
$4.80 MX$88.6
-10.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 MX$194
$10.43 MX$193
0.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.11
$1.92 MX$35.51
-6.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 MX$59.2
$3.29 MX$60.8
-2.74%
🚌 Getting Around
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.64 MX$11.85
$0.63 MX$11.61
1.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.97 MX$554
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 MX$47.39
$2.22 MX$41.06
15.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 MX$37.15
$1.45 MX$26.71
38.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$200
$9.54 MX$176
13.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 MX$27.45
$1.53 MX$28.36
-2.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.5K
$21.4K MX$394.8K
-1.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K MX$438.6K
$23.9K MX$440.8K
-0.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.0 MX$1,054
$49.71 MX$919
14.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.91 MX$423
$23.09 MX$427
-0.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.54 MX$546
$29.23 MX$540
1.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.60 MX$621
$29.01 MX$536
15.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.12 MX$372
$10.94 MX$202
83.91%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$6.15 MX$114
-14.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$220 MX$4,060
$237 MX$4,381
-7.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,534 MX$83.8K
$10.6K MX$195.7K
-57.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 MX$1,003
$56.6 MX$1,045
-4.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.69 MX$752
$40.02 MX$739
1.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.8 MX$1,825
$105 MX$1,943
-6.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 MX$1,669
$80.0 MX$1,479
12.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$612 MX$11.3K
$811 MX$15.0K
-24.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$383 MX$7,076
$472 MX$8,725
-18.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 MX$19.0K
$1,505 MX$27.8K
-31.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$779 MX$14.4K
$943 MX$17.4K
-17.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,910 MX$35.3K
$3,221 MX$59.5K
-40.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,160 MX$21.4K
$1,720 MX$31.8K
-32.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Fernando
Guadalajara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$767 MX$14.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
11.53
-1.99%

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

Last update for San Fernando: October 17, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
$383
Guadalajara
$472 23.3% $89
Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
$266
Guadalajara
$272 2.2% $5.8
Eating Out
San Fernando
$185
Guadalajara
$217 17.4% $32
Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
$128
Guadalajara
$127 0.8% $1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
$109
Guadalajara
$102 6.8% $7.5
Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
$44
Guadalajara
$41 6.2% $2.8
Getting Around
San Fernando
$15 *
Guadalajara
$42 176% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $612 in San Fernando and $811 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in San Fernando vs $43.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $272 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 San Fernando
🇲🇽 Guadalajara
🕒 Local time
02:13 2:13 AM
02:13 2:13 AM
Same time as San Fernando
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,867
1,385,629
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Fernando Guadalajara 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Fernando
  • Guadalajara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
San Fernando vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Fernando or Guadalajara?
San Fernando wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Fernando the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Fernando and in Guadalajara?
You'd need roughly $1,695 in San Fernando and $1,909 in Guadalajara 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in San Fernando compared to Guadalajara?
Rent for a central apartment: $612 in San Fernando versus $811 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in San Fernando and in Guadalajara?
Childcare runs $220 in San Fernando versus $237 in Guadalajara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in San Fernando and in Guadalajara?
Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $43.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in San Fernando or in Guadalajara?
At $1,130 in San Fernando versus $1,273 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, San Fernando or Guadalajara?
Both work as nomad bases, but San Fernando delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,130 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Fernando hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

San Fernando vs other spots: cost of living compared

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