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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $806 per month in Zacatecas vs $995 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,275 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,473 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,744 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,951 in Balti, rent included.

Zacatecas is about 19% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Zacatecas and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Zacatecas 42% lower, Balti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.90 MX$117

$8.92 MDL 153

-22.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 MX$589

$23.46 MDL 403

48.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$133

$11.10 MDL 190

-29.46%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$54.8

$1.83 MDL 31.37

76.50%

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

$1.38 MX$23.34

$1.13 MDL 19.42

22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.28

$0.68 MDL 11.67

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.14 MDL 19.49

85.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MX$77.2

$1.47 MDL 25.28

209.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.25 MDL 21.52

24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 MX$39.19

$0.51 MDL 8.80

352.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.34

$1.64 MDL 28.15

5.49%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$40.62

$2.32 MDL 39.81

3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 MX$134

$7.03 MDL 121

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 MX$108

$4.91 MDL 84.3

29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$176

$6.55 MDL 112

58.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.35

$1.01 MDL 17.33

95.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.01

$2.29 MDL 39.34

-22.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.55

$1.96 MDL 33.71

12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.15

$2.48 MDL 42.49

-37.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.46

$0.79 MDL 13.49

164.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.22

$0.54 MDL 9.22

251.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$26.15

$0.48 MDL 8.22

220.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.56

$0.56 MDL 9.62

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$80.8

$3.33 MDL 57.1

42.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 MX$196

$4.70 MDL 80.6

146.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$30.69

$1.46 MDL 25.12

23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$60.0

$2.05 MDL 35.13

72.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.03

$0.33 MDL 5.74

60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.84 MX$303

$17.12 MDL 294

4.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 MX$41.11

$2.88 MDL 49.46

-15.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.22

$0.25 MDL 4.24

376.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.89 MX$219

$5.78 MDL 99.1

123.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.01

$1.54 MDL 26.37

3.25%

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

$23.3K MX$395.6K

$34.4K MDL 589.9K

-32.16%

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

$25.7K MX$435.4K

$24.8K MDL 425.4K

3.55%

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

$24.89 MX$422

$234 MDL 4,023

-89.38%

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

$9.09 MX$154

$7.97 MDL 137

14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.23 MX$462

$11.82 MDL 203

130.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.38 MX$448

$37.25 MDL 639

-29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 MX$149

$16.09 MDL 276

-45.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$77.3

$7.70 MDL 132

-40.78%

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

$278 MX$4,720

$115 MDL 1,981

141.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,489 MX$59.2K

$5,508 MDL 94.5K

-36.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.51 MX$823

$45.71 MDL 784

6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.71 MX$775

$35.11 MDL 603

30.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 MX$1,647

$57.3 MDL 984

69.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.93 MX$796

$51.6 MDL 886

-9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 MX$4,435

$411 MDL 7,053

-36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MX$2,979

$291 MDL 4,992

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MX$7,020

$700 MDL 12.0K

-40.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MX$4,486

$531 MDL 9,114

-50.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,462 MDL 25.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$617 MX$10.5K

$1,026 MDL 17.6K

-39.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 MX$7,667

$627 MDL 10.8K

-27.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

35.00%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Last update for Balti: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 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 39% higher in Balti, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Zacatecas versus $23.00 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $171 – making Balti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $806 in Zacatecas, $995 in Balti – roughly 24% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,208 per month in Zacatecas and $1,493 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.

Kindergarten costs $278 per month in Zacatecas and $115 in Balti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 44% 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 $806 in Zacatecas and $995 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.