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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 56% more expensive than Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Aguascalientes is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$8.12 MX$140

60.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$34.46 MX$596

56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$7.07 MX$122

44.41%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$3.20 MX$55.4

15.00%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.08 MX$18.72

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.80 MX$13.84

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$1.80 MX$31.19

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.15 MX$54.5

35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.35 MX$23.28

23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.25 MX$38.86

19.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.58 MX$27.28

22.15%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$1.96 MX$33.85

34.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$7.97 MX$138

29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$7.16 MX$124

28.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$9.66 MX$167

43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.26 MX$39.02

39.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.97 MX$16.72

43.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$0.83 MX$14.36

140.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.42 MX$24.53

50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.40 MX$24.27

62.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$0.97 MX$16.73

161.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$0.90 MX$15.50

74.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$0.83 MX$14.39

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.14 MX$71.6

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$8.98 MX$155

59.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.50 MX$25.98

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.66 MX$46.08

18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.55 MX$9.59

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

$22.01 MX$381

84.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$1.07 MX$18.57

57.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$0.93 MX$16.15

1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$3.24 MX$56.0

232.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.24 MX$21.51

10.48%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

20.61%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$23.4K MX$405.2K

9.20%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$44.40 MX$768

174.01%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$20.16 MX$349

34.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$23.39 MX$405

27.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$25.83 MX$447

49.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$21.83 MX$378

-1.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$4.15 MX$71.8

42.65%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$178 MX$3,075

94.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$2,589 MX$44.8K

247.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$51.1 MX$884

14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$34.96 MX$605

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$85.2 MX$1,474

28.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$53.7 MX$930

140.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$385 MX$6,663

137.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$384 MX$6,645

68.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$571 MX$9,868

174.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$595 MX$10.3K

135.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

$1,228 MX$21.2K

255.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$1,241 MX$21.5K

128.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$920 MX$15.9K

20.00%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 20% 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 Monterrey vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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

Monterrey 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Monterrey pays 20% 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: $913 in Monterrey 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 84% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey 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 $1,601 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 56% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.