Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,543 in Aguascalientes versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Aguascalientes versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguascalientes is 23% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.12 MX$140

$13.18 MX$228

-38.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.46 MX$596

$53.9 MX$932

-36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 MX$122

$9.42 MX$163

-24.95%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$55.4

$3.55 MX$61.4

-9.86%

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

$1.08 MX$18.72

$1.62 MX$27.98

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.84

$1.11 MX$19.27

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$31.19

$3.12 MX$54.0

-42.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$4.63 MX$80.1

-31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.28

$1.70 MX$29.43

-20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$38.86

$2.72 MX$47.02

-17.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.28

$1.91 MX$33.07

-17.28%

Eggs

$1.96 MX$33.85

$2.54 MX$43.86

-22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$138

$10.03 MX$174

-20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 MX$124

$8.09 MX$140

-11.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MX$167

$11.62 MX$201

-16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.97 MX$51.3

-23.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.72

$1.81 MX$31.24

-46.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MX$14.36

$2.01 MX$34.82

-58.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.53

$2.03 MX$35.20

-30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.27

$2.12 MX$36.75

-33.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.73

$2.27 MX$39.25

-57.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 MX$15.50

$1.40 MX$24.22

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.39

$1.13 MX$19.55

-26.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 MX$155

$15.56 MX$269

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$25.98

$1.76 MX$30.39

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$46.08

$3.60 MX$62.2

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.59

$0.38 MX$6.62

44.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.01 MX$381

$19.18 MX$332

14.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MX$18.57

$1.38 MX$23.79

-22.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$0.28 MX$4.78

232.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.0

$5.45 MX$94.2

-40.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.51

$1.30 MX$22.55

-4.62%

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

$22.2K MX$383.5K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

18.65%

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

$23.4K MX$405.2K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

1.29%

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

$44.40 MX$768

$40.86 MX$707

8.66%

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

$20.16 MX$349

$26.81 MX$464

-24.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 MX$405

$29.96 MX$518

-21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 MX$447

$52.0 MX$900

-50.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 MX$378

$26.84 MX$464

-18.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MX$71.8

$6.30 MX$109

-34.13%

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

$178 MX$3,075

$436 MX$7,544

-59.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,589 MX$44.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-75.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MX$884

$56.7 MX$980

-9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 MX$605

$44.38 MX$768

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 MX$1,474

$103 MX$1,780

-17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 MX$930

$106 MX$1,825

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,663

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-62.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 MX$6,645

$631 MX$10.9K

-39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 MX$9,868

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-73.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 MX$10.3K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-52.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,228 MX$21.2K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-68.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,241 MX$21.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-39.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MX$15.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-17.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

11.34

-0.88%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Aguascalientes and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Aguascalientes vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $288 per month, with Aguascalientes 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

Aguascalientes vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 21% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Aguascalientes versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $178 in Aguascalientes versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aguascalientes and Mexico City 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.