Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 59% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Aguascalientes is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$234

$8.18 MX$143

63.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$921

$34.16 MX$597

54.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$6.90 MX$121

46.52%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.2

$3.36 MX$58.7

11.01%

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

$1.44 MX$25.23

$1.11 MX$19.49

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.55

$0.82 MX$14.32

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.66

$1.83 MX$31.99

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.4

$3.19 MX$55.7

31.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.10

$1.35 MX$23.55

22.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.48

$2.15 MX$37.55

26.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.07

$1.52 MX$26.60

28.29%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.56

$1.95 MX$34.10

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$8.23 MX$144

24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$7.43 MX$130

19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$241

$9.65 MX$169

42.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$2.26 MX$39.60

34.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.53

$0.92 MX$16.08

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.23

$0.89 MX$15.52

126.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.25

$1.45 MX$25.40

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.53

$1.37 MX$24.03

69.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.64

$0.94 MX$16.52

171.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.40

$0.93 MX$16.19

62.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.87

$0.82 MX$14.27

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$4.22 MX$73.7

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$9.37 MX$164

52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.22

$1.52 MX$26.57

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.5

$2.70 MX$47.28

17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.50

$0.55 MX$9.67

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$715

$22.62 MX$396

80.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.71

$1.03 MX$17.99

70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.34

$0.94 MX$16.45

5.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$3.25 MX$56.9

219.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.47

$1.24 MX$21.74

8.06%

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

$26.6K MX$465.9K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

23.39%

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

$25.6K MX$446.9K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

9.07%

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

$121 MX$2,122

$44.95 MX$786

169.94%

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

$27.40 MX$479

$20.27 MX$354

35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$520

$23.48 MX$411

26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$655

$25.07 MX$438

49.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$381

$21.91 MX$383

-0.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$100

$4.12 MX$72.1

39.56%

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

$348 MX$6,079

$184 MX$3,219

88.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.1K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

244.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,034

$53.1 MX$928

11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$732

$35.73 MX$625

17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,874

$84.3 MX$1,473

27.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,242

$54.9 MX$959

133.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.5K

$390 MX$6,824

127.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$378 MX$6,605

70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.6K

$586 MX$10.3K

168.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.1K

$585 MX$10.2K

135.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.1K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

253.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.2K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

124.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.8K

$907 MX$15.9K

24.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.24

2.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 25% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 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

Monterrey vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Monterrey, 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: $889 in Monterrey 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 81% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey 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 $1,618 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monterrey 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 59% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.