Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Aguascalientes is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.12 MX$141

62.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.46 MX$597

56.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.07 MX$123

33.24%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.20 MX$55.5

10.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.08 MX$18.76

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.80 MX$13.87

38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.80 MX$31.25

73.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.15 MX$54.6

46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.35 MX$23.33

25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.25 MX$38.94

20.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.58 MX$27.33

20.89%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.96 MX$33.91

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.97 MX$138

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.16 MX$124

12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.66 MX$167

20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.26 MX$39.09

31.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.97 MX$16.75

86.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.83 MX$14.39

142.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.42 MX$24.58

42.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.40 MX$24.32

51.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.97 MX$16.76

134.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.90 MX$15.53

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.83 MX$14.41

36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.14 MX$71.7

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.98 MX$156

73.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.50 MX$26.02

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.66 MX$46.17

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.55 MX$9.61

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$22.01 MX$381

-12.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.07 MX$18.61

28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.93 MX$16.18

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$3.24 MX$56.1

68.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.24 MX$21.55

4.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.2K MX$384.2K

-15.72%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

-1.27%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$44.40 MX$769

-7.97%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$20.16 MX$349

32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.39 MX$405

28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$25.83 MX$448

101.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$21.83 MX$378

22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.15 MX$71.9

51.81%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$178 MX$3,081

145.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$2,589 MX$44.9K

302.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$51.1 MX$885

10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$34.96 MX$606

26.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$85.2 MX$1,477

20.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$53.7 MX$931

96.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$385 MX$6,675

165.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$384 MX$6,657

64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$571 MX$9,887

274.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$595 MX$10.3K

108.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,228 MX$21.3K

217.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,241 MX$21.5K

66.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$920 MX$15.9K

21.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.24

0.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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

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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 21% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City 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 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City 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 $1,467 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, Mexico City 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.