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: $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,591 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Grahamstown versus $2,478 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Grahamstown versus $3,365 in Mexico City.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 14% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 R 186

$12.06 MX$219

-7.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 R 714

$50.8 MX$923

-15.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 R 97.5

$10.90 MX$198

-46.33%

Cappuccino

$2.11 R 35.08

$3.75 MX$68.2

-43.73%

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

$1.05 R 17.46

$1.61 MX$29.28

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 13.04

$1.32 MX$23.89

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 45.36

$3.37 MX$61.1

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 R 54.5

$5.69 MX$103

-42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.09

$1.77 MX$32.14

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.80

$3.08 MX$55.9

-65.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.75

$1.97 MX$35.70

-24.37%

Eggs

$2.85 R 47.54

$2.79 MX$50.7

2.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 R 148

$11.92 MX$216

-25.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 88.8

$9.40 MX$171

-43.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 R 149

$15.30 MX$278

-41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.71

$3.16 MX$57.3

-32.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.04

$1.98 MX$35.96

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.63

$2.07 MX$37.60

-16.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.73

$2.33 MX$42.26

-20.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.54

$2.07 MX$37.57

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.44

$1.92 MX$34.91

-23.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 21.20

$1.52 MX$27.67

-16.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.16

$1.32 MX$24.05

-21.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 56.1

$5.26 MX$95.5

-35.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.06 R 84.2

$16.84 MX$306

-69.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.52

$1.95 MX$35.43

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 R 31.07

$4.37 MX$79.4

-57.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 26.13

$0.34 MX$6.20

361.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.99 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.81

$1.98 MX$35.87

-67.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.38

$0.57 MX$10.42

-12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 R 140

$5.42 MX$98.5

55.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.82

$1.53 MX$27.74

-6.54%

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

$36.7K R 611.2K

$21.5K MX$390.2K

70.84%

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

$33.9K R 564.7K

$25.3K MX$460.0K

33.86%

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

$124 R 2,069

$61.5 MX$1,117

101.98%

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

$35.82 R 596

$27.38 MX$497

30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.54 R 775

$34.93 MX$634

33.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.84 R 547

$56.8 MX$1,032

-42.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 R 191

$25.27 MX$459

-54.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 R 177

$6.84 MX$124

55.41%

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

$184 R 3,065

$438 MX$7,958

-58.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,014 R 83.5K

$12.8K MX$233.2K

-60.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 R 1,203

$71.2 MX$1,293

1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.82 R 646

$53.7 MX$976

-27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,894

$109 MX$1,983

4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 R 1,614

$117 MX$2,120

-16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,651

$1,050 MX$19.1K

-61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 6,143

$686 MX$12.5K

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 R 12.7K

$2,410 MX$43.8K

-68.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 R 12.8K

$1,258 MX$22.8K

-39.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$864 R 14.4K

$3,814 MX$69.2K

-77.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$644 R 10.7K

$1,994 MX$36.2K

-67.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,235 R 20.6K

$998 MX$18.1K

23.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.3

5.66%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Grahamstown and $1,050 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Grahamstown vs $51.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $328 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 38% 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.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Grahamstown, 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: $399 in Grahamstown versus $1,050 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,155 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,591 in Mexico City – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,591 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 $1,155 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.