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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Aguascalientes is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$8.18 MX$143

59.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$34.16 MX$597

57.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.90 MX$121

40.29%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$3.36 MX$58.7

11.31%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.11 MX$19.49

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.82 MX$14.32

41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$1.83 MX$31.99

76.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$3.19 MX$55.7

48.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.35 MX$23.55

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$2.15 MX$37.55

27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.52 MX$26.60

23.03%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$1.95 MX$34.10

28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.23 MX$144

23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.43 MX$130

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.65 MX$169

22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$2.26 MX$39.60

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$0.92 MX$16.08

96.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$0.89 MX$15.52

124.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.45 MX$25.40

37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$1.37 MX$24.03

51.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$0.94 MX$16.52

141.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.93 MX$16.19

56.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.82 MX$14.27

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$4.22 MX$73.7

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$9.37 MX$164

81.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.52 MX$26.57

13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$2.70 MX$47.28

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.55 MX$9.67

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$22.62 MX$396

-17.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.03 MX$17.99

29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.94 MX$16.45

-70.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$3.25 MX$56.9

61.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.24 MX$21.74

8.06%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

-10.10%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

1.70%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$44.95 MX$786

-9.48%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$20.27 MX$354

32.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$23.48 MX$411

29.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$25.07 MX$438

110.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$21.91 MX$383

21.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.12 MX$72.1

58.01%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$184 MX$3,219

132.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

302.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$53.1 MX$928

7.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$35.73 MX$625

27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$84.3 MX$1,473

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$54.9 MX$959

96.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$390 MX$6,824

157.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$378 MX$6,605

64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$586 MX$10.3K

259.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$585 MX$10.2K

108.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

224.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

65.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$907 MX$15.9K

14.40%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $390 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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

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.

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: $1,003 in Mexico City 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 21% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City 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 $1,456 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.