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: $1,149 in Guadalajara versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Guadalajara versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,568 in Guadalajara versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Aguascalientes 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$187

$8.18 MX$143

30.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 MX$658

$34.16 MX$597

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$141

$6.90 MX$121

17.10%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.6

$3.36 MX$58.7

-3.57%

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

$1.37 MX$23.92

$1.11 MX$19.49

23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.81

$0.82 MX$14.32

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.83 MX$31.99

16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.5

$3.19 MX$55.7

21.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.35 MX$23.55

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$47.10

$2.15 MX$37.55

25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.44

$1.52 MX$26.60

10.53%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.44

$1.95 MX$34.10

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$161

$8.23 MX$144

11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 MX$138

$7.43 MX$130

6.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MX$175

$9.65 MX$169

3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.24

$2.26 MX$39.60

19.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.59

$0.92 MX$16.08

58.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.62

$0.89 MX$15.52

110.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.44

$1.45 MX$25.40

4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.92

$1.37 MX$24.03

24.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.75

$0.94 MX$16.52

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.13

$0.93 MX$16.19

48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.54

$0.82 MX$14.27

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$79.8

$4.22 MX$73.7

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$196

$9.37 MX$164

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.28

$1.52 MX$26.57

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.70 MX$47.28

19.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.08

$0.55 MX$9.67

-5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.06 MX$456

$22.62 MX$396

15.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.55

$1.03 MX$17.99

158.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.22

$0.94 MX$16.45

71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 MX$206

$3.25 MX$56.9

262.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.24

$1.24 MX$21.74

7.26%

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

$23.6K MX$412.2K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

9.17%

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

$24.2K MX$422.6K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

3.15%

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

$30.98 MX$542

$44.95 MX$786

-31.08%

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

$23.74 MX$415

$20.27 MX$354

17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MX$474

$23.48 MX$411

15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 MX$595

$25.07 MX$438

35.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 MX$348

$21.91 MX$383

-9.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MX$84.8

$4.12 MX$72.1

17.72%

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

$189 MX$3,310

$184 MX$3,219

2.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,333 MX$110.7K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

142.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 MX$863

$53.1 MX$928

-6.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$888

$35.73 MX$625

42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,744

$84.3 MX$1,473

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,628

$54.9 MX$959

69.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.6K

$390 MX$6,824

84.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,666

$378 MX$6,605

16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 MX$23.1K

$586 MX$10.3K

125.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.8K

$585 MX$10.2K

44.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.3K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

173.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,021 MX$35.3K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

64.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.9K

$907 MX$15.9K

-12.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Guadalajara vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $219 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, salaries run 14% lower in Aguascalientes. 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: $720 in Guadalajara versus $390 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 15% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $189 in Guadalajara versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,149 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.