Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,079 a month against $1,599 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey 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 Monterrey and in Aguascalientes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $1,079 in Aguascalientes.

Monterrey $1,599
Aguascalientes $1,079

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $1,721 in Aguascalientes.

Monterrey $2,493
Aguascalientes $1,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $2,362 in Aguascalientes.

Monterrey $3,387
Aguascalientes $2,362

Living in Monterrey is roughly 48% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 18% above, Aguascalientes is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$12.28 MX$227

12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$42.99 MX$794

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$7.20 MX$133

47.92%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$3.74 MX$69.1

6.68%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$1.67 MX$30.85

-0.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.17 MX$21.70

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$2.14 MX$39.62

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$3.29 MX$60.7

34.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$1.48 MX$27.44

22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.25 MX$41.49

25.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$1.45 MX$26.73

32.41%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.43 MX$44.86

2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$7.75 MX$143

51.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$8.52 MX$157

6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$11.26 MX$208

11.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$2.26 MX$41.84

47.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.27 MX$23.43

23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$1.48 MX$27.39

45.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$1.70 MX$31.35

45.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$1.55 MX$28.62

49.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$1.33 MX$24.51

101.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$0.98 MX$18.13

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$0.81 MX$14.93

46.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$4.30 MX$79.4

10.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$8.45 MX$156

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.79 MX$33.08

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.31 MX$61.1

-12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$0.63 MX$11.58

25.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$24.32 MX$449

28.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$1.23 MX$22.78

29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.13 MX$20.97

-6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$1.46 MX$26.90

6.16%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$24.4K MX$450.0K

-0.80%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$23.3K MX$430.4K

4.40%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$54.3 MX$1,004

115.08%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$24.27 MX$448

8.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$23.89 MX$441

9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$30.44 MX$562

-0.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$22.08 MX$408

-3.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$5.06 MX$93.4

3.36%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$214 MX$3,951

214.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$2,854 MX$52.7K

289.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$54.1 MX$1,000

33.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$37.52 MX$693

12.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$103 MX$1,899

8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$69.2 MX$1,278

72.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$510 MX$9,431

85.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$351 MX$6,489

89.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$778 MX$14.4K

134.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$640 MX$11.8K

98.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$1,150 MX$21.2K

252.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,165 MX$21.5K

101.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$853 MX$15.8K

35.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

11.2

5.27%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Aguascalientes

$351 32.5% 47.3% $315

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Aguascalientes

$239 22.2% 21.5% $65

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Aguascalientes

$193 17.9% 12.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Aguascalientes

$102 9.5% 39.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Aguascalientes

$119 11% 23.7% $37

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 18.6% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Aguascalientes

$41 3.8% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $510 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 36% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $239 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

Same time as Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

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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Monterrey Aguascalientes 470 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $949 in Monterrey versus $510 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 29% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $673 in Monterrey versus $214 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,079 in Aguascalientes versus $1,599 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.