Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Guadalajara versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Guadalajara versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 13% more expensive than Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Aguascalientes 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$181

$8.12 MX$140

28.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$672

$34.46 MX$596

12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$7.07 MX$122

13.01%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$55.1

$3.20 MX$55.4

-0.31%

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

$1.38 MX$23.95

$1.08 MX$18.72

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.12

$0.80 MX$13.84

16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.38

$1.80 MX$31.19

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.3

$3.15 MX$54.5

23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.25

$1.35 MX$23.28

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.76

$2.25 MX$38.86

17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.80

$1.58 MX$27.28

5.06%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.44

$1.96 MX$33.85

28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MX$167

$7.97 MX$138

20.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$7.16 MX$124

7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.66 MX$167

7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.77

$2.26 MX$39.02

17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.16

$0.97 MX$16.72

49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.20

$0.83 MX$14.36

116.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.06

$1.42 MX$24.53

9.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.12

$1.40 MX$24.27

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.73

$0.97 MX$16.73

107.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.12

$0.90 MX$15.50

48.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.61

$0.83 MX$14.39

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$76.0

$4.14 MX$71.6

6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$194

$8.98 MX$155

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.00

$1.50 MX$25.98

8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$55.8

$2.66 MX$46.08

21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.92

$0.55 MX$9.59

-5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$22.01 MX$381

22.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.86

$1.07 MX$18.57

153.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.58

$0.93 MX$16.15

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$202

$3.24 MX$56.0

260.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.24 MX$21.51

6.45%

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

$24.2K MX$418.2K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

9.04%

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

$23.7K MX$409.6K

$23.4K MX$405.2K

1.09%

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

$31.32 MX$542

$44.40 MX$768

-29.46%

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

$24.53 MX$424

$20.16 MX$349

21.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 MX$476

$23.39 MX$405

17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$571

$25.83 MX$447

27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 MX$338

$21.83 MX$378

-10.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MX$87.1

$4.15 MX$71.8

21.20%

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

$187 MX$3,228

$178 MX$3,075

4.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,425 MX$111.1K

$2,589 MX$44.8K

148.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 MX$860

$51.1 MX$884

-2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$878

$34.96 MX$605

45.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,703

$85.2 MX$1,474

15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,572

$53.7 MX$930

69.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$385 MX$6,663

83.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,576

$384 MX$6,645

14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 MX$23.4K

$571 MX$9,868

137.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 MX$14.6K

$595 MX$10.3K

41.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.5K

$1,228 MX$21.2K

161.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

$1,241 MX$21.5K

60.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.8K

$920 MX$15.9K

-13.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.24

2.14%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Guadalajara and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $217 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

Guadalajara vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Aguascalientes earns 15% 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: $706 in Guadalajara versus $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 22% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Guadalajara versus $178 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,157 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. 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 Guadalajara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Aguascalientes 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 13% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.