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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $951 per month in Zacatecas vs $998 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,510 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,261 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,523 in Balti, rent included.

Zacatecas is about 5% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Zacatecas and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Zacatecas 29% lower, Balti 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.04 MX$105

$8.23 MDL 144

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.14 MX$543

$36.65 MDL 643

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 MX$123

$7.71 MDL 135

-8.95%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MX$50.1

$1.58 MDL 27.69

81.65%

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

$1.21 MX$21.13

$0.91 MDL 15.96

32.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.82

$0.65 MDL 11.49

13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.76 MDL 30.93

7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MX$68.0

$2.24 MDL 39.33

74.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.19

$1.28 MDL 22.44

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 MX$37.32

$0.42 MDL 7.39

409.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.94

$1.47 MDL 25.71

4.76%

Eggs

$2.10 MX$36.58

$1.56 MDL 27.41

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 MX$122

$9.23 MDL 162

-24.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 MX$98.3

$4.55 MDL 79.8

23.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 MX$163

$8.88 MDL 156

4.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.27

$0.90 MDL 15.84

86.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.07

$1.75 MDL 30.76

-17.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.37

$1.49 MDL 26.20

20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.64

$2.07 MDL 36.33

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.11

$0.75 MDL 13.19

130.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.86

$0.59 MDL 10.39

238.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.29 MDL 22.66

7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.23

$0.90 MDL 15.79

-8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$3.24 MDL 56.9

30.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 MX$194

$4.45 MDL 78.1

149.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.94

$1.20 MDL 21.11

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 MX$57.3

$2.00 MDL 35.01

64.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.05

$0.36 MDL 6.39

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.05 MX$280

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 MX$36.35

$2.02 MDL 35.52

2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.53

$0.25 MDL 4.37

304.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.58 MX$202

$5.15 MDL 90.3

124.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.85

$1.32 MDL 23.23

-5.30%

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

$23.7K MX$413.8K

$32.6K MDL 572.4K

-27.29%

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

$23.7K MX$412.5K

$31.4K MDL 550.9K

-24.69%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$176 MDL 3,080

-87.15%

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

$8.03 MX$140

$4.76 MDL 83.5

68.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.85 MX$433

$10.59 MDL 186

134.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.95 MX$418

$41.33 MDL 725

-42.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 MX$139

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 MX$70.8

$4.78 MDL 83.9

-15.06%

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

$190 MX$3,316

$119 MDL 2,089

59.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,222 MX$56.2K

$5,474 MDL 96.0K

-41.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.44 MX$758

$65.9 MDL 1,156

-34.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$752

$53.4 MDL 937

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 MX$1,544

$114 MDL 2,000

-22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.62 MX$726

$121 MDL 2,114

-65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 MX$4,145

$405 MDL 7,101

-41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,843

$297 MDL 5,212

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MX$6,431

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 MDL 25.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$596 MX$10.4K

$992 MDL 17.4K

-39.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 MX$7,619

$618 MDL 10.8K

-29.33%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Balti: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $238 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 42% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas versus $37.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Zacatecas vs $176 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: $951 in Zacatecas, $998 in Balti – roughly 5% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Zacatecas and $1,497 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 25% 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 $951 in Zacatecas and $998 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.