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: $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Zacatecas versus $1,844 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,098 in Zacatecas versus $2,530 in Guadalajara.

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 19% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zacatecas 30% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 MX$108

$10.46 MX$181

-40.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.34 MX$542

$38.85 MX$672

-19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 MX$123

$7.99 MX$138

-10.76%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MX$51.5

$3.19 MX$55.1

-6.58%

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

$1.22 MX$21.06

$1.38 MX$23.95

-11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.78

$0.93 MX$16.12

-20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 MX$32.64

$2.10 MX$36.38

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.40 MX$24.25

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$37.22

$2.65 MX$45.76

-18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.73

$1.66 MX$28.80

-6.63%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$37.93

$2.51 MX$43.44

-12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 MX$124

$9.63 MX$167

-25.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 MX$99.1

$7.67 MX$133

-25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 MX$154

$10.37 MX$179

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.55

$2.65 MX$45.77

-35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.23

$1.45 MX$25.16

4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.12

$1.80 MX$31.20

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.04

$1.56 MX$27.06

-10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.18

$1.80 MX$31.12

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.80

$2.01 MX$34.73

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.93

$1.34 MX$23.12

-0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.32

$1.08 MX$18.61

-23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.6

$4.40 MX$76.0

-4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$193

$11.22 MX$194

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.62 MX$28.00

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MX$57.0

$3.22 MX$55.8

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.05

$0.52 MX$8.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 MX$279

$26.91 MX$466

-40.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$2.71 MX$46.86

-23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.34

$1.59 MX$27.58

-40.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 MX$199

$11.68 MX$202

-1.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.39

$1.32 MX$22.83

-2.27%

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

$24.0K MX$415.7K

$24.2K MX$418.2K

-0.59%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$23.7K MX$409.6K

-0.15%

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

$22.34 MX$386

$31.32 MX$542

-28.67%

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

$7.74 MX$134

$24.53 MX$424

-68.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.97 MX$432

$27.53 MX$476

-9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 MX$408

$33.01 MX$571

-28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.08 MX$140

$19.54 MX$338

-58.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 MX$71.1

$5.03 MX$87.1

-18.29%

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

$191 MX$3,304

$187 MX$3,228

2.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,154 MX$54.6K

$6,425 MX$111.1K

-50.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.97 MX$761

$49.73 MX$860

-11.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 MX$727

$50.8 MX$878

-17.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 MX$1,503

$98.5 MX$1,703

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.14 MX$729

$90.9 MX$1,572

-53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 MX$4,151

$706 MX$12.2K

-66.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,796

$438 MX$7,576

-10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 MX$6,293

$1,355 MX$23.4K

-73.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$842 MX$14.6K

-8.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 MX$10.4K

$1,998 MX$34.6K

-69.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$15.7K

$797 MX$13.8K

14.09%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Zacatecas and $706 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zacatecas pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Zacatecas vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 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 23% 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.

Zacatecas pays 14% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $240 in Zacatecas versus $706 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,157 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 $938 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 23% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.