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: $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Aguascalientes versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Aguascalientes versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguascalientes is 15% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 MX$234

$12.11 MX$206

13.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 MX$809

$52.2 MX$887

-8.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 MX$129

$10.90 MX$185

-30.55%

Cappuccino

$4.13 MX$70.2

$4.05 MX$68.9

1.98%

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

$1.78 MX$30.18

$1.72 MX$29.15

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.22

$1.38 MX$23.41

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MX$41.05

$3.47 MX$58.9

-30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 MX$60.4

$5.81 MX$98.8

-38.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.85 MX$31.50

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$39.55

$3.22 MX$54.8

-27.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.70

$2.09 MX$35.44

-24.88%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.09

$2.91 MX$49.44

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 MX$143

$12.49 MX$212

-32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 MX$152

$10.11 MX$172

-11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 MX$207

$15.89 MX$270

-23.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.23

$3.31 MX$56.3

-26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.32

$2.13 MX$36.14

-32.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.93

$2.19 MX$37.22

-25.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.99

$2.45 MX$41.59

-23.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.13

$2.19 MX$37.20

-24.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.68

$1.90 MX$32.37

-20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.16

$1.62 MX$27.45

-33.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.15

$1.35 MX$22.94

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 MX$80.5

$5.43 MX$92.2

-12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 MX$164

$17.59 MX$299

-45.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.84

$2.07 MX$35.14

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 MX$64.0

$4.75 MX$80.7

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.49

$0.34 MX$5.78

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.72 MX$437

$21.58 MX$367

19.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$22.63

$2.04 MX$34.67

-34.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.25

$0.58 MX$9.82

105.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 MX$199

$5.97 MX$101

95.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.60

$1.62 MX$27.46

-3.09%

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

$22.3K MX$379.3K

$22.8K MX$387.6K

-2.16%

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

$25.8K MX$437.7K

$26.7K MX$453.1K

-3.39%

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

$59.2 MX$1,006

$65.2 MX$1,109

-9.24%

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

$26.57 MX$452

$29.87 MX$508

-11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 MX$445

$36.55 MX$621

-28.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.31 MX$566

$61.0 MX$1,037

-45.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 MX$392

$26.70 MX$454

-13.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$92.2

$6.85 MX$116

-20.73%

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

$230 MX$3,909

$453 MX$7,705

-49.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,096 MX$52.6K

$13.4K MX$227.2K

-76.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 MX$994

$75.0 MX$1,274

-21.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 MX$709

$55.3 MX$940

-24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,902

$114 MX$1,931

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 MX$1,296

$123 MX$2,084

-37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 MX$9,172

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,311

$712 MX$12.1K

-47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 MX$14.4K

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-67.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 MX$11.7K

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-47.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,276 MX$21.7K

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-68.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MX$21.6K

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-39.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 MX$15.8K

$1,047 MX$17.8K

-11.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

11.3

-0.88%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Aguascalientes and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $48.00 in Aguascalientes vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $345 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Mexico City. 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: $540 in Aguascalientes versus $1,134 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $230 in Aguascalientes versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $1,646 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.