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: $2,173 in Grafton versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Grafton versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,184 in Grafton versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grafton is roughly 72% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 63% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.32 A$23.16

$11.72 MX$203

39.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$101

$41.89 MX$725

69.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 A$13.54

$10.51 MX$182

-9.23%

Cappuccino

$3.21 A$4.56

$3.59 MX$62.0

-10.58%

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

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.51 MX$26.10

67.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.09

$0.92 MX$15.83

136.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 A$9.06

$2.96 MX$51.2

115.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 A$11.18

$4.41 MX$76.3

78.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 A$1.44

$1.40 MX$24.16

-27.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.22

$1.88 MX$32.60

20.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 A$2.58

$1.56 MX$26.97

16.67%

Eggs

$3.39 A$4.81

$2.61 MX$45.14

29.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 A$11.45

$8.32 MX$144

-3.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 A$10.01

$8.35 MX$145

-15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 A$19.11

$10.86 MX$188

24.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.78

$2.71 MX$46.93

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.51 MX$26.04

-12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.77

$1.87 MX$32.41

42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$2.19 MX$37.89

97.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.79

$1.86 MX$32.14

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.02

$2.23 MX$38.59

-4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.07 MX$18.48

57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 A$1.44

$1.09 MX$18.79

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.82 A$39.47

$4.19 MX$72.4

563.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 A$17.68

$10.43 MX$180

19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.66

$1.66 MX$28.68

182.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 A$5.79

$2.61 MX$45.19

56.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.63

$0.54 MX$9.37

374.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 A$92.8

$26.16 MX$453

150.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 A$3.26

$3.08 MX$53.3

-25.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.14

$2.40 MX$41.61

-37.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.72 A$47.84

$3.13 MX$54.1

977.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.31 MX$22.69

-6.11%

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

$29.5K A$41.8K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-1.18%

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

$21.9K A$31.1K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-5.98%

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

$146 A$207

$81.3 MX$1,406

79.38%

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

$25.62 A$36.35

$22.56 MX$390

13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.25 A$64.2

$30.05 MX$520

50.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.52 A$68.8

$52.9 MX$915

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.53 A$22.03

$18.39 MX$318

-15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 A$15.68

$4.92 MX$85.1

124.59%

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

$645 A$915

$201 MX$3,474

221.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,965 A$4,206

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-42.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$100

$35.92 MX$622

96.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.18 A$61.3

$40.13 MX$694

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 A$131

$79.7 MX$1,379

15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$144

$86.5 MX$1,496

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 A$1,804

$978 MX$16.9K

30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,527

$470 MX$8,140

128.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 A$2,909

$1,651 MX$28.6K

24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 A$2,338

$1,203 MX$20.8K

36.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,501 A$7,806

$3,953 MX$68.4K

39.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,088 A$7,219

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-23.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,444 A$3,468

$677 MX$11.7K

261.19%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,271 in Grafton and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 261% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $252 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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,173 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 261% 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 $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $42.00 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,173 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 72% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.