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: $1,415 in Guadalajara versus $1,167 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,274 in Guadalajara versus $1,878 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Guadalajara versus $2,589 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 21% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guadalajara is 3% above, Aguascalientes is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 MX$247

$13.76 MX$233

6.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 MX$846

$47.62 MX$805

5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$159

$7.57 MX$128

24.57%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$69.0

$4.13 MX$69.8

-1.21%

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

$1.71 MX$28.92

$1.78 MX$30.02

-3.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$21.45

$1.31 MX$22.10

-3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.42

$2.42 MX$40.83

20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 MX$96.7

$3.55 MX$60.0

61.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 MX$32.74

$1.55 MX$26.21

25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 MX$47.53

$2.33 MX$39.33

20.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.80

$1.57 MX$26.56

15.92%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.25

$2.59 MX$43.84

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$174

$8.41 MX$142

22.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$173

$8.96 MX$151

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$12.16 MX$205

2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$53.1

$2.43 MX$41.00

29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.84

$1.43 MX$24.18

23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.58

$1.64 MX$27.78

31.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$32.96

$1.88 MX$31.82

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.51

$1.66 MX$27.97

30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.20

$1.51 MX$25.54

26.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.58

$1.07 MX$18.06

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.12

$0.95 MX$16.06

25.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.88 MX$82.5

$4.73 MX$80.0

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 MX$197

$9.66 MX$163

20.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$33.17

$1.87 MX$31.66

4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.77 MX$63.7

-1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.30

$0.68 MX$11.43

-1.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.41 MX$548

$25.72 MX$435

26.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MX$38.75

$1.33 MX$22.50

72.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 MX$24.47

$1.19 MX$20.14

21.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 MX$221

$11.70 MX$198

11.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$27.56

$1.57 MX$26.46

3.82%

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

$22.7K MX$384.2K

$22.3K MX$377.2K

1.86%

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

$25.9K MX$438.4K

$25.8K MX$435.3K

0.72%

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

$54.1 MX$914

$59.2 MX$1,001

-8.63%

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

$23.86 MX$403

$26.57 MX$449

-10.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 MX$566

$26.17 MX$442

28.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 MX$575

$33.31 MX$563

2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.91 MX$201

$23.06 MX$390

-48.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 MX$118

$5.43 MX$91.7

28.18%

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

$270 MX$4,569

$230 MX$3,887

17.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$192.1K

$3,096 MX$52.3K

267.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 MX$1,076

$58.5 MX$988

8.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$761

$41.70 MX$705

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,927

$112 MX$1,892

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,570

$76.3 MX$1,289

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 MX$15.4K

$540 MX$9,122

68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 MX$8,979

$371 MX$6,276

43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 MX$30.2K

$848 MX$14.3K

110.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 MX$17.6K

$691 MX$11.7K

51.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,367 MX$56.9K

$1,276 MX$21.6K

164.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$35.0K

$1,273 MX$21.5K

62.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 MX$13.4K

$929 MX$15.7K

-14.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.2

4.29%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: August 31, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $912 in Guadalajara and $540 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guadalajara vs $48.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $259 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $912 in Guadalajara versus $540 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 26% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $270 in Guadalajara versus $230 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $1,415 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 21% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.