Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,092 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Aguascalientes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Aguascalientes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,092 in Aguascalientes.

Mexico City $1,567
Aguascalientes $1,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,731 in Aguascalientes.

Mexico City $2,450
Aguascalientes $1,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $2,369 in Aguascalientes.

Mexico City $3,333
Aguascalientes $2,369

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Aguascalientes is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$12.38 MX$229

-13.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$43.61 MX$806

15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$7.11 MX$131

56.12%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.66 MX$67.6

0.55%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.67 MX$30.86

-1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.25 MX$23.02

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$2.22 MX$41.02

49.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.34 MX$61.7

65.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.50 MX$27.63

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$2.18 MX$40.35

39.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.54 MX$28.40

30.52%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.48 MX$45.90

11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$8.06 MX$149

47.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$8.17 MX$151

14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$11.64 MX$215

29.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.22 MX$40.93

38.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.32 MX$24.42

47.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.54 MX$28.51

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.69 MX$31.21

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.57 MX$28.92

28.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.41 MX$26.06

29.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.02 MX$18.90

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.84 MX$15.61

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$4.49 MX$83.0

17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$8.92 MX$165

80.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.83 MX$33.90

6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$3.32 MX$61.3

28.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.63 MX$11.62

-50.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$24.57 MX$454

-19.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$1.26 MX$23.28

58.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.10 MX$20.36

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$10.79 MX$199

-47.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.52 MX$28.16

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$21.5K MX$396.5K

-1.97%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$23.7K MX$437.8K

6.28%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$55.3 MX$1,023

12.94%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$24.53 MX$453

17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$24.95 MX$461

38.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$31.67 MX$585

80.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$21.89 MX$405

13.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$5.21 MX$96.4

28.02%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$211 MX$3,894

104.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$2,871 MX$53.0K

308.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$55.1 MX$1,018

28.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$37.63 MX$695

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$103 MX$1,900

5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$71.4 MX$1,319

57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$502 MX$9,285

109.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$356 MX$6,577

86.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$806 MX$14.9K

191.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$628 MX$11.6K

95.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$1,163 MX$21.5K

205.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$1,194 MX$22.1K

65.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$854 MX$15.8K

14.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.2

0.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Aguascalientes

$356 32.6% 46.5% $309

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Aguascalientes

$242 22.1% 25.1% $81

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Aguascalientes

$194 17.7% 4.5% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Aguascalientes

$120 11% 22.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Aguascalientes

$105 9.6% 16.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Aguascalientes

$42 3.9% 40.2% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 31.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $502 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 14% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $242 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

863,893

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $502 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $211 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,092 in Aguascalientes versus $1,567 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.