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: $1,118 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,180 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,856 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,533 in Guadalajara.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 5% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zihuatanejo 17% lower, Guadalajara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$184

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.36 MX$658

$38.89 MX$667

-1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MX$137

$7.95 MX$136

0.25%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$56.9

$3.17 MX$54.4

4.73%

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

$1.27 MX$21.81

$1.37 MX$23.58

-7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.75

$0.87 MX$14.96

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$39.98

$2.11 MX$36.19

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$65.5

$3.88 MX$66.6

-1.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.83

$1.43 MX$24.57

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 MX$60.4

$2.59 MX$44.52

35.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.02

$1.64 MX$28.09

-0.61%

Eggs

$4.23 MX$72.7

$2.45 MX$42.00

72.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$135

$9.60 MX$165

-18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$133

$8.06 MX$138

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$178

$10.07 MX$173

2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.43

$2.61 MX$44.73

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.67

$1.44 MX$24.74

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.26

$1.84 MX$31.57

-4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.50

$1.59 MX$27.35

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.78

$1.71 MX$29.33

11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.74

$2.01 MX$34.49

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.50

$1.31 MX$22.54

-9.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.65

$1.08 MX$18.51

-4.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.9

$4.39 MX$75.3

-5.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 MX$162

$11.06 MX$190

-14.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.30

$1.59 MX$27.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.60

$3.24 MX$55.7

-14.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$0.51 MX$8.75

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MX$450

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.00

$2.66 MX$45.65

-3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.70

$1.56 MX$26.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 MX$140

$11.83 MX$203

-31.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.48

$1.32 MX$22.68

-0.76%

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

$21.0K MX$361.1K

$23.6K MX$405.7K

-10.99%

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

$22.8K MX$390.7K

$24.2K MX$414.6K

-5.75%

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

$56.7 MX$973

$30.68 MX$527

84.88%

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

$10.17 MX$175

$24.03 MX$412

-57.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.79 MX$477

$26.77 MX$459

3.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 MX$625

$33.29 MX$571

9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 MX$277

$19.53 MX$335

-17.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MX$79.3

$4.81 MX$82.5

-3.95%

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

$206 MX$3,530

$189 MX$3,243

8.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,561 MX$61.1K

$6,258 MX$107.4K

-43.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$914

$49.66 MX$852

7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 MX$693

$51.6 MX$885

-21.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MX$1,531

$101 MX$1,729

-11.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MX$1,374

$93.1 MX$1,598

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,669

$697 MX$12.0K

-27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,725

$452 MX$7,750

-13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 MX$16.2K

$1,326 MX$22.8K

-28.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 MX$13.1K

$847 MX$14.5K

-9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,994 MX$34.2K

$3,268 MX$56.1K

-38.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,290 MX$22.1K

$2,003 MX$34.4K

-35.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$788 MX$13.5K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Zihuatanejo and $697 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Zihuatanejo vs $39.00 in Guadalajara. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $257, 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 6% 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 $1,678 in Zihuatanejo and $1,771 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: $505 in Zihuatanejo versus $697 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 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 $38.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,118 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,180 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 $1,118 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 6% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.