Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Zacatecas versus $1,149 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,493 in Zacatecas versus $1,858 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,042 in Zacatecas versus $2,568 in Guadalajara.

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 18% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zacatecas 29% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 MX$106

$10.71 MX$188

-43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 MX$545

$37.63 MX$660

-17.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 MX$128

$8.08 MX$142

-9.90%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MX$52.0

$3.24 MX$56.8

-8.64%

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

$1.22 MX$21.40

$1.37 MX$24.00

-10.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.29

$0.90 MX$15.86

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 MX$31.68

$2.14 MX$37.51

-15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$66.4

$3.86 MX$67.7

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.39

$1.39 MX$24.31

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 MX$37.48

$2.69 MX$47.25

-20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.45

$1.68 MX$29.53

-6.55%

Eggs

$2.20 MX$38.59

$2.54 MX$44.58

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$127

$9.19 MX$161

-21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 MX$103

$7.91 MX$139

-25.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 MX$160

$9.98 MX$175

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.57

$2.70 MX$47.39

-35.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$26.15

$1.46 MX$25.67

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.20

$1.87 MX$32.72

-4.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.51 MX$26.52

-5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.64

$1.71 MX$30.01

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.42

$1.99 MX$34.86

1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MX$23.99

$1.38 MX$24.20

-0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MX$13.20

$1.12 MX$19.60

-33.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MX$73.1

$4.56 MX$80.0

-8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$191

$11.22 MX$197

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.53

$1.56 MX$27.36

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MX$54.5

$3.23 MX$56.7

-3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MX$8.54

$0.52 MX$9.11

-5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.10 MX$282

$26.06 MX$457

-38.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 MX$36.46

$2.66 MX$46.69

-21.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.48

$1.61 MX$28.30

-41.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.50 MX$202

$11.77 MX$206

-2.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.87

$1.33 MX$23.31

-2.26%

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

$24.2K MX$425.1K

$23.6K MX$413.5K

2.82%

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

$23.9K MX$419.8K

$24.2K MX$424.0K

-0.97%

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

$22.53 MX$395

$30.98 MX$543

-27.28%

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

$8.09 MX$142

$23.74 MX$416

-65.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.10 MX$440

$27.13 MX$476

-7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.52 MX$413

$34.02 MX$597

-30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 MX$137

$19.92 MX$349

-60.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MX$72.8

$4.85 MX$85.1

-14.43%

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

$191 MX$3,348

$189 MX$3,320

0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,190 MX$56.0K

$6,333 MX$111.1K

-49.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.23 MX$758

$49.35 MX$866

-12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.35 MX$743

$50.8 MX$891

-16.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,542

$99.8 MX$1,750

-11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 MX$739

$93.1 MX$1,633

-54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 MX$4,193

$720 MX$12.6K

-66.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$7,065

$438 MX$7,690

-8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 MX$6,419

$1,321 MX$23.2K

-72.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MX$13.5K

$847 MX$14.8K

-9.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 MX$10.3K

$2,021 MX$35.5K

-70.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 MX$7,633

$797 MX$14.0K

-45.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

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

Last update for Zacatecas: July 14, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Zacatecas and $720 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Zacatecas vs $38.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $257 per month, with Zacatecas cheaper across the board.

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 Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zacatecas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Guadalajara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $239 in Zacatecas versus $720 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacatecas – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $38.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Zacatecas versus $1,149 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zacatecas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $944 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zacatecas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zacatecas and Guadalajara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.