Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,798 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,873 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,475 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,589 in Guadalajara.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 3% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zihuatanejo 16% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 MX$189

$10.55 MX$185

2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MX$674

$38.56 MX$675

-0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$140

$7.75 MX$136

3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$58.1

$3.26 MX$57.0

1.84%

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

$1.29 MX$22.50

$1.33 MX$23.23

-3.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.11

$0.86 MX$14.97

13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MX$41.14

$2.08 MX$36.32

12.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$68.1

$3.87 MX$67.8

0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.10

$1.45 MX$25.36

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 MX$62.5

$2.70 MX$47.33

32.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.59

$1.69 MX$29.65

-3.55%

Eggs

$4.34 MX$75.9

$2.41 MX$42.12

80.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$145

$9.26 MX$162

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$135

$7.90 MX$138

-2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MX$187

$10.33 MX$181

3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.31

$2.61 MX$45.70

3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.50

$1.45 MX$25.39

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.41

$1.77 MX$30.95

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$29.05

$1.54 MX$26.90

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.24

$1.71 MX$29.94

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.12

$1.98 MX$34.73

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.93

$1.39 MX$24.24

-10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.12 MX$19.52

-8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$4.38 MX$76.6

-6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$184

$11.60 MX$203

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.41

$1.58 MX$27.63

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$48.20

$3.24 MX$56.8

-15.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.78

$0.55 MX$9.57

12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.39 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 MX$45.55

$2.61 MX$45.72

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.78

$1.54 MX$26.91

3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$148

$11.75 MX$206

-28.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.90

$1.28 MX$22.33

2.34%

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

$21.5K MX$376.4K

$24.0K MX$419.7K

-10.31%

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

$22.1K MX$387.1K

$24.5K MX$428.8K

-9.71%

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

$56.8 MX$994

$31.09 MX$544

82.73%

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

$10.18 MX$178

$23.67 MX$414

-56.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 MX$489

$26.68 MX$467

4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.85 MX$627

$33.77 MX$591

6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$274

$19.39 MX$339

-19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$80.1

$4.82 MX$84.3

-4.98%

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

$202 MX$3,538

$189 MX$3,304

7.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,555 MX$62.2K

$6,386 MX$111.8K

-44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 MX$928

$49.80 MX$872

6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 MX$702

$50.9 MX$890

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,570

$99.6 MX$1,744

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 MX$1,396

$92.9 MX$1,625

-14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,790

$719 MX$12.6K

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,988

$436 MX$7,631

-8.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MX$16.4K

$1,344 MX$23.5K

-30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$13.2K

$872 MX$15.3K

-13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MX$34.4K

$3,252 MX$56.9K

-39.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 MX$22.5K

$1,996 MX$34.9K

-35.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$755 MX$13.2K

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 Zihuatanejo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Zihuatanejo and $719 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Zihuatanejo vs $39.00 in Guadalajara. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $258, with Guadalajara cheaper for home cooking.

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

Zihuatanejo vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zihuatanejo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,682 in Zihuatanejo and $1,736 in Guadalajara 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: $502 in Zihuatanejo versus $719 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Zihuatanejo versus $189 in Guadalajara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,121 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,157 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zihuatanejo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zihuatanejo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.