Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,092 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,092

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguascalientes and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aguascalientes and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Aguascalientes versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Aguascalientes $1,092
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Aguascalientes versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Aguascalientes $1,731
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,369 in Aguascalientes versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Aguascalientes $2,369
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguascalientes is 19% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 MX$229

$10.75 MX$199

15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.61 MX$806

$50.3 MX$929

-13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 MX$131

$11.10 MX$205

-35.95%

Cappuccino

$3.66 MX$67.6

$3.68 MX$68.1

-0.54%

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

$1.67 MX$30.86

$1.65 MX$30.42

1.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.02

$1.30 MX$24.08

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MX$41.02

$3.32 MX$61.3

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 MX$61.7

$5.54 MX$102

-39.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$27.63

$1.77 MX$32.68

-15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 MX$40.35

$3.05 MX$56.4

-28.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.40

$2.01 MX$37.20

-23.38%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.90

$2.77 MX$51.1

-10.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$149

$11.91 MX$220

-32.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 MX$151

$9.33 MX$172

-12.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 MX$215

$15.02 MX$278

-22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.93

$3.08 MX$56.8

-27.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.42

$1.95 MX$35.97

-32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.51

$2.03 MX$37.54

-24.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MX$31.21

$2.21 MX$40.92

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$28.92

$2.02 MX$37.41

-22.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 MX$26.06

$1.82 MX$33.67

-22.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 MX$18.90

$1.52 MX$28.07

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.61

$1.28 MX$23.65

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MX$83.0

$5.27 MX$97.4

-14.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 MX$165

$16.12 MX$298

-44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MX$33.90

$1.95 MX$36.05

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$4.25 MX$78.6

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.62

$0.31 MX$5.82

103.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.57 MX$454

$19.85 MX$367

23.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MX$23.28

$2.00 MX$36.93

-37.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.36

$0.53 MX$9.86

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.79 MX$199

$5.62 MX$104

91.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.16

$1.52 MX$28.07

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

$21.5K MX$396.5K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

2.01%

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

$23.7K MX$437.8K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-5.91%

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

$55.3 MX$1,023

$62.5 MX$1,155

-11.46%

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

$24.53 MX$453

$28.77 MX$532

-14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.95 MX$461

$34.45 MX$637

-27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.67 MX$585

$57.1 MX$1,055

-44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.89 MX$405

$24.81 MX$458

-11.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 MX$96.4

$6.67 MX$123

-21.89%

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

$211 MX$3,894

$431 MX$7,964

-51.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,871 MX$53.0K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-75.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MX$1,018

$70.8 MX$1,308

-22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.63 MX$695

$51.8 MX$958

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,900

$109 MX$2,011

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 MX$1,319

$112 MX$2,076

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$9,285

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-52.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MX$6,577

$665 MX$12.3K

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 MX$14.9K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 MX$11.6K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-48.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,163 MX$21.5K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-67.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 MX$22.1K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$854 MX$15.8K

$975 MX$18.0K

-12.38%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aguascalientes

$356 32.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 86.9% $309

Groceries & Markets

Aguascalientes

$242 22.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 33.4% $81

Eating Out

Aguascalientes

$194 17.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 4.8% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Aguascalientes

$120 11%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 28.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aguascalientes

$105 9.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 19.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Aguascalientes

$42 3.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 67.3% $28

Getting Around

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 23.8% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Aguascalientes and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 14% 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: $44.00 in Aguascalientes vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $323 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

Same time as Aguascalientes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

863,893

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $502 in Aguascalientes versus $1,051 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $211 in Aguascalientes versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,092 in Aguascalientes versus $1,567 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.