Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,173 in Grafton versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Grafton versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,184 in Grafton versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Grafton is roughly 48% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grafton 63% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.32 A$23.16

$13.14 MX$227

24.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$101

$53.5 MX$926

32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 A$13.54

$9.33 MX$161

2.25%

Cappuccino

$3.21 A$4.56

$3.70 MX$64.0

-13.24%

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

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.60 MX$27.76

58.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.09

$1.12 MX$19.34

94.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 A$9.06

$3.14 MX$54.3

103.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 A$11.18

$4.85 MX$83.9

62.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 A$1.44

$1.65 MX$28.61

-38.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.22

$2.71 MX$46.96

-16.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 A$2.58

$1.91 MX$33.03

-4.71%

Eggs

$3.39 A$4.81

$2.59 MX$44.81

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 A$11.45

$9.81 MX$170

-17.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 A$10.01

$8.43 MX$146

-16.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 A$19.11

$11.93 MX$206

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.78

$2.95 MX$51.1

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.74 MX$30.10

-24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.77

$2.04 MX$35.38

30.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$2.06 MX$35.64

110.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.79

$2.15 MX$37.20

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.02

$2.26 MX$39.02

-5.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.39 MX$23.97

20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 A$1.44

$1.12 MX$19.31

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.82 A$39.47

$4.22 MX$73.0

559.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 A$17.68

$17.51 MX$303

-28.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.66

$1.71 MX$29.58

174.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 A$5.79

$3.63 MX$62.8

12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.63

$0.35 MX$6.10

631.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 A$92.8

$19.32 MX$334

238.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 A$3.26

$1.38 MX$23.80

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.14

$0.28 MX$4.77

439.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.72 A$47.84

$5.28 MX$91.3

538.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.36 MX$23.50

-9.56%

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

$29.5K A$41.8K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

54.20%

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

$21.9K A$31.1K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-7.11%

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

$146 A$207

$40.53 MX$701

259.73%

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

$25.62 A$36.35

$27.38 MX$474

-6.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.25 A$64.2

$30.38 MX$526

48.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.52 A$68.8

$52.2 MX$903

-7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.53 A$22.03

$26.48 MX$458

-41.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 A$15.68

$6.19 MX$107

78.51%

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

$645 A$915

$425 MX$7,355

51.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,965 A$4,206

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-72.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$100

$58.3 MX$1,009

20.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.18 A$61.3

$44.57 MX$771

-3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 A$131

$103 MX$1,791

-10.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$144

$109 MX$1,881

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 A$1,804

$1,014 MX$17.5K

25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,527

$623 MX$10.8K

72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 A$2,909

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 A$2,338

$1,223 MX$21.2K

34.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,501 A$7,806

$3,792 MX$65.6K

45.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,088 A$7,219

$2,110 MX$36.5K

141.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,444 A$3,468

$1,052 MX$18.2K

132.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

11.34

-44.97%

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

Last update for Grafton: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,271 in Grafton and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 132% 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: $71.0 in Grafton vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $293, with Grafton cheaper for home cooking.

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

Grafton vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grafton and Mexico City differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,173 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Grafton, 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: $1,271 in Grafton versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Grafton pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,173 in Grafton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Grafton. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Grafton and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.