Traditional units of measurement in Mexico & Central America
Americas · 9 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
Spanish colonial units still govern rural land across Mexico and Central America: the vara (~0.8359 m), the manzana (~6,988.96 m²) and the caballería.
How measurement works in Mexico & Central America
The manzana is the working farm-size unit in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica, defined as 10,000 square varas — which means its metric value depends on the local vara, and the vara was never uniform across the former Spanish empire.
Mexican ejido and rural property records frequently quote frontage in varas even where area is registered in hectares, so a single deed can mix systems.
Arroba and quintal persist in coffee, sugar and livestock trade, and quintal in particular has both a Spanish (46 kg) and a metric (100 kg) reading depending on country and commodity.
area units of Mexico & Central America
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manzana | 1 Manzana = 6,988 square metre | agriculture | Manzana → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Caballería | 1 Caballería = 134,202 square metre | agriculture | Caballería → square metres |
| Fanega (area) | 1 Fanega (area) = 6,460 square metre | agriculture | Fanega (area) → square metres |
| Peonía | 1 Peonía = 26,840 square metre | agriculture | Peonía → square metres |
| Tupu | 1 Tupu = 2,700 square metre | agriculture | Tupu → square metres |
mass units of Mexico & Central America
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arroba | 1 Arroba = 11.5 kilogram | agriculture, trade | Arroba → kilograms |
| Quintal (Spanish) | 1 Quintal (Spanish) = 46 kilogram | trade | Quintal (Spanish) → kilograms |
| Carga | 1 Carga = 47.5 kilogram | trade | Carga → kilograms |
length units of Mexico & Central America
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vara | 1 Vara = 0.8359 metre | surveying | Vara → metresIn-depth guide |
Units that vary within Mexico & Central America
- Arroba — reported range: 11.5–15 kg
Before you convert
- The vara ranges from about 0.835 m to 0.912 m by country; a manzana computed from the wrong vara is off by up to 15%.
- Quintal means 46 kg in traditional Spanish usage and 100 kg in modern Latin American commodity trade — always check the contract.
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) — unidades tradicionales
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.