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: $2,452 in Grafton versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,497 in Grafton versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Grafton versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grafton is roughly 94% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 79% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 A$24.75

$11.60 MX$200

51.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$112

$47.11 MX$811

68.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.93

$11.88 MX$205

-4.46%

Cappuccino

$3.43 A$4.81

$3.98 MX$68.5

-13.82%

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

$2.94 A$4.12

$1.43 MX$24.57

105.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 A$3.55

$0.82 MX$14.20

208.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 A$11.93

$3.19 MX$54.9

166.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.07

$6.79 MX$117

26.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.57

$1.68 MX$28.85

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.20 MX$37.83

26.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.25

$1.71 MX$29.41

35.09%

Eggs

$3.64 A$5.12

$2.74 MX$47.20

32.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.33

$9.58 MX$165

-0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 A$11.30

$9.01 MX$155

-10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 A$20.05

$12.81 MX$221

11.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.07

$2.89 MX$49.74

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 A$1.96

$1.50 MX$25.78

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$2.15 MX$36.98

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 A$6.96

$2.26 MX$38.91

119.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.09

$1.98 MX$34.10

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.27

$1.99 MX$34.26

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 A$2.55

$1.23 MX$21.25

47.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.64

$1.20 MX$20.60

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.65 A$43.03

$4.55 MX$78.3

573.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 A$18.10

$10.37 MX$179

24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.67

$1.62 MX$27.88

237.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.26

$2.88 MX$49.60

79.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 A$4.88

$0.60 MX$10.34

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 A$134

$28.80 MX$496

230.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 A$4.38

$5.39 MX$92.8

-42.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 A$2.57

$3.73 MX$64.2

-50.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.22 A$57.9

$5.77 MX$99.3

614.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.90

$1.54 MX$26.45

-12.34%

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

$28.4K A$39.9K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

26.03%

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

$25.3K A$35.5K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-3.06%

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

$172 A$241

$91.4 MX$1,573

88.16%

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

$27.97 A$39.27

$25.20 MX$434

10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.6

$31.24 MX$538

61.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$79.9

$67.2 MX$1,157

-15.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 A$23.29

$29.11 MX$501

-43.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$16.92

$4.86 MX$83.7

147.94%

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

$686 A$963

$224 MX$3,851

206.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,205 A$4,500

$4,229 MX$72.8K

-24.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 A$118

$47.10 MX$811

78.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 A$60.4

$44.29 MX$763

-2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$161

$80.1 MX$1,379

42.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$158

$92.7 MX$1,596

21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 A$2,028

$1,063 MX$18.3K

35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 A$1,713

$390 MX$6,719

212.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,332 A$3,275

$2,149 MX$37.0K

8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 A$2,585

$1,272 MX$21.9K

44.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,274 A$8,811

$4,001 MX$68.9K

56.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,818 A$6,766

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-25.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,560 A$3,595

$758 MX$13.1K

237.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

11.45

-48.73%

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

Last update for Grafton: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Grafton and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 238% 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: $79.0 in Grafton vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $276 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,452 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 238% 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: $1,444 in Grafton versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $47.00 versus $79.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,452 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 94% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.