Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,543 in Aguascalientes versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Aguascalientes versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 36% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguascalientes is 23% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.12 MX$140

$13.01 MX$225

-37.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.46 MX$596

$53.8 MX$930

-35.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 MX$122

$10.21 MX$177

-30.75%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$55.4

$3.68 MX$63.7

-13.04%

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

$1.08 MX$18.72

$1.46 MX$25.30

-26.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.84

$1.00 MX$17.28

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$31.19

$2.70 MX$46.62

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$4.27 MX$73.9

-26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.28

$1.67 MX$28.81

-19.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$38.86

$2.68 MX$46.35

-16.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.28

$1.93 MX$33.35

-18.13%

Eggs

$1.96 MX$33.85

$2.63 MX$45.49

-25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$138

$10.34 MX$179

-22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 MX$124

$9.22 MX$159

-22.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MX$167

$13.84 MX$239

-30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$3.15 MX$54.5

-28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.72

$1.39 MX$24.01

-30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MX$14.36

$2.00 MX$34.59

-58.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.53

$2.14 MX$37.03

-33.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.27

$2.27 MX$39.19

-38.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.73

$2.54 MX$44.00

-61.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 MX$15.50

$1.57 MX$27.09

-42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.39

$1.07 MX$18.49

-22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.6

$4.25 MX$73.5

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 MX$155

$14.36 MX$248

-37.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$25.98

$1.78 MX$30.81

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$46.08

$3.14 MX$54.4

-15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.59

$0.80 MX$13.87

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.01 MX$381

$40.54 MX$701

-45.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MX$18.57

$1.68 MX$29.06

-36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$0.94 MX$16.28

-1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.0

$10.76 MX$186

-69.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.51

$1.37 MX$23.68

-9.49%

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

$22.2K MX$383.5K

$26.7K MX$462.6K

-17.09%

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

$23.4K MX$405.2K

$25.6K MX$442.5K

-8.42%

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

$44.40 MX$768

$122 MX$2,104

-63.50%

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

$20.16 MX$349

$27.19 MX$470

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 MX$405

$29.82 MX$516

-21.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 MX$447

$38.49 MX$666

-32.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 MX$378

$21.46 MX$371

1.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MX$71.8

$5.92 MX$102

-29.90%

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

$178 MX$3,075

$346 MX$5,979

-48.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,589 MX$44.8K

$8,997 MX$155.6K

-71.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MX$884

$58.4 MX$1,010

-12.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 MX$605

$42.55 MX$736

-17.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 MX$1,474

$109 MX$1,892

-22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 MX$930

$129 MX$2,231

-58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,663

$913 MX$15.8K

-57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 MX$6,645

$647 MX$11.2K

-40.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 MX$9,868

$1,565 MX$27.1K

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 MX$10.3K

$1,401 MX$24.2K

-57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,228 MX$21.2K

$4,371 MX$75.6K

-71.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,241 MX$21.5K

$2,839 MX$49.1K

-56.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MX$15.9K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

-16.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

11.55

-2.68%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Aguascalientes and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 20% 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 Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $298 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Monterrey earns 20% 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 $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 84% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $178 in Aguascalientes versus $346 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aguascalientes and Monterrey 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 56% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.