Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zalau and Oaxaca de Juarez

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $1,132 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Oaxaca de Juarez
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Oaxaca de Juarez Living Index

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Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Oaxaca de Juarez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zalau and in Oaxaca de Juarez

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zalau and in Oaxaca de Juarez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $871 in Zalau versus $1,132 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Zalau $871
Oaxaca de Juarez $1,132

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,330 in Zalau versus $1,741 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Zalau $1,330
Oaxaca de Juarez $1,741

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Zalau versus $2,351 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Zalau $1,789
Oaxaca de Juarez $2,351

Living in Zalau costs roughly 23% less than in Oaxaca de Juarez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zalau 36% lower, Oaxaca de Juarez 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 RON 35.55

$6.55 MX$122

13.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 RON 162

$32.71 MX$607

3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 RON 25.39

$8.11 MX$151

-34.28%

Cappuccino

$2.12 RON 10.12

$2.75 MX$51.2

-22.91%

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

$1.52 RON 7.23

$1.51 MX$27.99

0.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.83

$0.84 MX$15.51

45.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 RON 7.88

$2.48 MX$45.98

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.25

$3.66 MX$68.0

-35.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 RON 6.34

$1.30 MX$24.12

2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 RON 5.25

$3.06 MX$56.9

-64.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.85

$1.06 MX$19.68

16.04%

Eggs

$1.97 RON 9.41

$1.65 MX$30.57

19.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 RON 38.36

$6.48 MX$120

24.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 RON 26.58

$5.60 MX$104

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 RON 48.94

$10.68 MX$198

-3.84%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$2.10 MX$39.06

-58.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.03

$1.15 MX$21.30

9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.88

$1.85 MX$34.27

-22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.64

$0.55 MX$10.22

229.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$1.99 MX$36.93

-66.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 RON 2.59

$1.99 MX$36.94

-72.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 RON 2.92

$1.06 MX$19.66

-42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$0.93 MX$17.24

-23.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 RON 24.15

$4.29 MX$79.6

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.27 RON 25.14

$9.66 MX$179

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.89

$1.42 MX$26.37

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.42

$2.59 MX$48.05

-55.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.51 MX$9.55

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 RON 105

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 RON 5.86

$3.75 MX$69.6

-67.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 RON 5.83

$1.86 MX$34.55

-34.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.42 RON 59.2

$10.86 MX$202

14.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.26

$1.39 MX$25.77

9.35%

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

$28.5K RON 135.8K

$24.4K MX$453.6K

16.64%

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

$25.4K RON 121.2K

$23.0K MX$426.9K

10.62%

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

$102 RON 486

$59.9 MX$1,112

70.35%

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

$4.14 RON 19.71

$10.71 MX$199

-61.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.31 RON 30.06

$23.85 MX$443

-73.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 RON 156

$43.19 MX$802

-24.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 RON 95.8

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 RON 25.49

$5.39 MX$100

-0.74%

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

$433 RON 2,062

$412 MX$7,649

5.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,275 RON 39.4K

$19.7K MX$366.8K

-58.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 RON 246

$51.7 MX$960

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.85 RON 142

$59.6 MX$1,106

-49.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 RON 274

$101 MX$1,867

-42.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 RON 301

$95.9 MX$1,781

-34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 RON 1,814

$695 MX$12.9K

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,369

$472 MX$8,772

-39.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 RON 2,925

$1,179 MX$21.9K

-47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 RON 2,179

$863 MX$16.0K

-47.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 RON 9,104

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,369 RON 6,526

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 RON 2,930

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

10.96

-37.50%

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

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Zalau

$287 33%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$472 41.7% 64.5% $185

Groceries & Markets

Zalau

$179 20.5%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$218 19.3% 22.2% $40

Eating Out

Zalau

$125 14.4%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$139 12.3% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zalau

$112 12.9%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$94 8.4% 16% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Zalau

$91 10.5%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$138 12.2% 52.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Zalau

$43 5%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$54 4.8% 24.2% $11

Getting Around

Zalau

$33 3.8%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$15 * 1.3% 54% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Zalau and $695 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34 in Zalau vs $33 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $218, with Zalau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Zalau

🇲🇽 Oaxaca de Juarez

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

06:57 6:57 AM

8 h behind Zalau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,202

258,913

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zalau Oaxaca de Juarez 10,690 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Zalau
Oaxaca de Juarez

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Zalau vs Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zalau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,306 in Zalau and $1,697 in Oaxaca de Juarez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $381 in Zalau versus $695 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Oaxaca de Juarez. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $871 per month in Zalau versus $1,132 in Oaxaca de Juarez – Zalau is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $871 in Zalau versus $1,132 in Oaxaca de Juarez, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zalau but tight or insufficient in Oaxaca de Juarez. The gap between the two cities makes Zalau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zalau and Oaxaca de Juarez are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.