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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Grahamstown versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,118 in Grahamstown versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 26% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 R 147

$12.98 MX$227

-32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.13 R 572

$53.1 MX$929

-35.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 R 83.8

$9.72 MX$170

-48.56%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 34.02

$3.75 MX$65.6

-45.87%

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

$1.03 R 17.33

$1.57 MX$27.46

-34.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.65

$1.13 MX$19.76

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 37.12

$3.18 MX$55.7

-30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.52

$4.66 MX$81.6

-46.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.61

$1.62 MX$28.37

-31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.76

$2.71 MX$47.36

-60.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.37

$1.88 MX$32.89

-16.49%

Eggs

$2.42 R 40.56

$2.51 MX$43.90

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 133

$10.08 MX$176

-21.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R 76.0

$8.29 MX$145

-45.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 R 111

$11.94 MX$209

-44.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.96

$2.86 MX$50.1

-43.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.42

$1.75 MX$30.62

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.99

$2.08 MX$36.48

-28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.67

$1.97 MX$34.46

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R 23.12

$2.16 MX$37.79

-36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.86

$2.18 MX$38.16

-45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 18.17

$1.39 MX$24.34

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.24

$1.12 MX$19.69

-13.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 48.02

$4.20 MX$73.5

-31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 83.0

$14.25 MX$249

-65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.44

$1.76 MX$30.85

-23.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.75

$3.68 MX$64.5

-53.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 26.88

$0.39 MX$6.74

310.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 19.03

$1.39 MX$24.26

-18.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 15.00

$0.30 MX$5.32

196.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 R 65.7

$5.42 MX$94.9

-27.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.90

$1.35 MX$23.63

-7.41%

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

$21.2K R 355.1K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

12.13%

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

$23.5K R 393.3K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

1.29%

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

$118 R 1,983

$40.82 MX$714

189.66%

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

$35.40 R 594

$27.50 MX$481

28.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.04 R 688

$30.38 MX$532

35.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.78 R 516

$53.4 MX$935

-42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 R 111

$6.27 MX$110

5.42%

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

$197 R 3,310

$436 MX$7,632

-54.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,392 R 73.7K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-58.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 862

$56.8 MX$993

-9.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 R 545

$44.79 MX$784

-27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 R 1,507

$103 MX$1,799

-12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 R 1,338

$108 MX$1,888

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,130

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-63.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 R 5,506

$620 MX$10.9K

-47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 R 11.3K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-68.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.4K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-45.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$876 R 14.7K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-77.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$598 R 10.0K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-74.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 R 20.0K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

11.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.34

1.50%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Grahamstown and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Grahamstown vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $286 per month, with Grahamstown 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

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

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Grahamstown pays 12% 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: $366 in Grahamstown versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $990 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.