Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,172 in Grafton versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,136 in Grafton versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,099 in Grafton versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grafton is roughly 69% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 62% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 A$23.01

$11.94 MX$208

38.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 A$99.0

$42.75 MX$744

66.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 A$13.65

$10.59 MX$184

-7.27%

Cappuccino

$3.10 A$4.32

$3.62 MX$63.0

-14.36%

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

$2.55 A$3.55

$1.47 MX$25.54

73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.10

$0.94 MX$16.41

137.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.33 A$8.80

$3.09 MX$53.8

104.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 A$10.65

$4.46 MX$77.6

71.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 A$1.43

$1.43 MX$24.80

-27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 A$3.19

$1.88 MX$32.79

22.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.61

$1.63 MX$28.34

15.34%

Eggs

$3.30 A$4.59

$2.64 MX$45.99

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 A$11.31

$8.21 MX$143

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 A$9.81

$8.29 MX$144

-14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 A$18.63

$11.10 MX$193

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.69

$2.65 MX$46.14

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 A$1.79

$1.50 MX$26.11

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.61

$1.99 MX$34.59

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$5.83

$2.08 MX$36.13

101.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.74

$1.79 MX$31.11

10.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 A$2.82

$2.18 MX$37.87

-6.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.23

$1.08 MX$18.73

48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 A$1.40

$1.04 MX$18.04

-2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.16 A$39.15

$3.97 MX$69.1

609.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 A$19.95

$10.20 MX$178

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 A$6.47

$1.73 MX$30.04

168.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 A$5.71

$2.50 MX$43.46

64.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.67

$0.52 MX$9.02

407.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$90.7

$26.97 MX$469

141.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 A$3.26

$3.14 MX$54.7

-25.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.18

$2.40 MX$41.80

-34.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 A$47.08

$3.09 MX$53.7

996.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.71

$1.27 MX$22.16

-3.15%

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

$28.4K A$39.5K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-8.02%

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

$22.5K A$31.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-3.61%

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

$143 A$199

$82.0 MX$1,427

74.81%

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

$25.82 A$35.89

$22.45 MX$391

15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.08 A$64.0

$29.66 MX$516

55.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.39 A$68.7

$51.9 MX$903

-4.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 A$22.07

$18.67 MX$325

-14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 A$15.12

$4.97 MX$86.5

118.91%

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

$643 A$894

$198 MX$3,442

225.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,942 A$4,090

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-44.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$98.8

$36.34 MX$632

95.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.72 A$60.8

$40.05 MX$697

9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 A$129

$79.9 MX$1,390

16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 A$138

$88.9 MX$1,547

11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 A$1,772

$963 MX$16.8K

32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 A$1,491

$465 MX$8,086

130.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,809

$1,596 MX$27.8K

26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 A$2,312

$1,209 MX$21.0K

37.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,213 A$8,635

$3,942 MX$68.6K

57.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,006 A$6,959

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-22.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,565 A$3,566

$720 MX$12.5K

256.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

11.42

-45.36%

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

Last update for Grafton: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Grafton and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 256% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

Grafton vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grafton and Playa del Carmen differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,172 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Grafton pays 256% 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: $1,275 in Grafton versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Grafton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,172 in Grafton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grafton. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.