Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Balti Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Balti

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $969 per month in Zacatecas vs $995 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,540 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,243 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,110 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,490 in Balti, rent included.

Zacatecas is about 3% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Zacatecas and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Zacatecas 28% lower, Balti 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.05 MX$104

$8.35 MDL 144

-27.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.54 MX$541

$36.34 MDL 628

-13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 MX$124

$7.48 MDL 129

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$2.94 MX$50.5

$1.64 MDL 28.27

79.27%

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

$1.22 MX$20.86

$0.91 MDL 15.77

34.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.03

$0.69 MDL 11.96

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$30.96

$1.80 MDL 31.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$66.5

$2.21 MDL 38.16

75.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.86

$1.24 MDL 21.50

7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 MX$36.53

$0.39 MDL 6.75

446.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.73

$1.50 MDL 25.96

Eggs

$2.21 MX$37.99

$1.56 MDL 27.02

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 MX$120

$9.11 MDL 157

-23.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 MX$102

$4.64 MDL 80.1

27.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.03 MX$155

$8.74 MDL 151

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.87

$0.89 MDL 15.42

95.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.97

$1.83 MDL 31.57

-17.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.81

$1.47 MDL 25.37

25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.42

$2.13 MDL 36.85

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 MX$29.99

$0.70 MDL 12.05

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.64

$0.60 MDL 10.29

226.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.63

$1.29 MDL 22.34

6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.81

$0.84 MDL 14.58

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$70.7

$3.24 MDL 55.9

27.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 MX$189

$4.71 MDL 81.4

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.07

$1.22 MDL 21.13

29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MX$53.4

$1.92 MDL 33.22

61.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 MX$8.16

$0.33 MDL 5.77

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.18 MX$278

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 MX$35.55

$2.02 MDL 34.97

2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MX$17.24

$0.27 MDL 4.69

270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.48 MX$197

$5.29 MDL 91.3

117.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.37

$1.36 MDL 23.47

-4.41%

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

$23.5K MX$404.1K

$31.9K MDL 550.9K

-26.18%

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

$24.4K MX$419.1K

$30.6K MDL 528.8K

-20.26%

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

$22.22 MX$381

$170 MDL 2,931

-86.91%

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

$8.13 MX$140

$4.59 MDL 79.2

77.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 MX$422

$10.74 MDL 185

129.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.03 MX$412

$40.88 MDL 706

-41.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.12 MX$139

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 MX$73.4

$4.64 MDL 80.1

-7.76%

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

$188 MX$3,233

$118 MDL 2,039

59.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,193 MX$54.8K

$5,548 MDL 95.8K

-42.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.90 MX$753

$65.4 MDL 1,129

-32.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 MX$734

$53.5 MDL 924

-20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 MX$1,517

$111 MDL 1,914

-20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.72 MX$716

$121 MDL 2,093

-65.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 MX$4,100

$405 MDL 6,987

-40.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$288 MDL 4,978

35.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 MX$6,287

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$13.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,442 MDL 24.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$601 MX$10.3K

$989 MDL 17.1K

-39.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$915 MX$15.7K

$435 MDL 7,517

110.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

9.24

24.24%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: June 8, 2026

Last update for Balti: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Zacatecas versus $405 in Balti. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 110% higher in Zacatecas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Zacatecas versus $36.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Zacatecas vs $175 in Balti – so Balti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Zacatecas vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $969 in Zacatecas, $995 in Balti – roughly 3% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,454 per month in Zacatecas and $1,492 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zacatecas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Zacatecas and $36.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Balti – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacatecas, where all-in costs run around $969, than in Balti at $995. In Zacatecas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zacatecas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zacatecas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.