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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $944 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,006 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,265 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,055 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,524 in Balti, rent included.

Zacatecas is about 6% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Zacatecas and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Zacatecas 30% lower, Balti 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 MX$104

$8.35 MDL 145

-28.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.67 MX$534

$37.00 MDL 641

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 MX$123

$7.54 MDL 130

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$2.93 MX$51.0

$1.60 MDL 27.75

83.13%

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

$1.23 MX$21.45

$0.91 MDL 15.73

35.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.27

$0.65 MDL 11.22

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 MX$31.88

$1.73 MDL 29.95

5.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.2

$2.18 MDL 37.70

77.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.19

$1.23 MDL 21.35

8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 MX$36.78

$0.43 MDL 7.44

390.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.10

$1.51 MDL 26.14

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.14 MX$37.19

$1.58 MDL 27.33

35.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 MX$127

$9.61 MDL 166

-23.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 MX$101

$4.44 MDL 76.8

31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 MX$158

$8.75 MDL 151

4.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.52

$0.91 MDL 15.77

92.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.12

$1.82 MDL 31.55

-17.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.83

$1.52 MDL 26.35

16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 MX$23.76

$2.07 MDL 35.82

-33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.85

$0.69 MDL 11.94

156.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.34

$0.60 MDL 10.31

220.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.08

$1.30 MDL 22.57

6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.18

$0.89 MDL 15.41

-7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MX$75.0

$3.31 MDL 57.4

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 MX$191

$4.75 MDL 82.2

130.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.12

$1.26 MDL 21.88

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.9

$1.90 MDL 32.88

65.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.06

$0.37 MDL 6.36

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.83 MX$276

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 MX$36.12

$2.01 MDL 34.72

3.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.26

$0.27 MDL 4.70

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.58 MX$201

$5.20 MDL 90.1

122.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.36 MDL 23.53

-7.35%

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

$23.8K MX$414.0K

$32.1K MDL 556.3K

-25.96%

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

$24.1K MX$418.7K

$30.8K MDL 533.1K

-21.88%

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

$22.92 MX$399

$172 MDL 2,983

-86.70%

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

$7.73 MX$135

$4.60 MDL 79.6

68.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 MX$421

$10.70 MDL 185

126.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.67 MX$412

$40.27 MDL 697

-41.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 MX$137

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 MX$73.1

$4.71 MDL 81.5

-10.83%

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

$185 MX$3,225

$117 MDL 2,033

57.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,206 MX$55.8K

$5,367 MDL 92.9K

-40.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.77 MX$762

$67.0 MDL 1,159

-34.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.88 MX$746

$54.1 MDL 937

-20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MX$1,498

$114 MDL 1,969

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 MX$733

$124 MDL 2,150

-66.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MX$4,187

$411 MDL 7,121

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,913

$293 MDL 5,071

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 MX$6,519

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$13.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 MDL 25.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 MX$10.6K

$1,025 MDL 17.7K

-40.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 MX$15.9K

$432 MDL 7,478

110.88%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Balti: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Zacatecas versus $411 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 111% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas versus $37.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Zacatecas vs $177 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: $944 in Zacatecas, $1,006 in Balti – roughly 7% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,416 per month in Zacatecas and $1,509 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas and $37.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Balti – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $944 in Zacatecas and $1,006 in Balti, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.