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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,591 in Mexico City versus $1,155 in Grahamstown.

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 MX$219

$11.18 R 186

7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 MX$923

$42.90 R 714

18.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$198

$5.85 R 97.5

86.32%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$68.2

$2.11 R 35.08

77.73%

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

$1.61 MX$29.28

$1.05 R 17.46

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$23.89

$0.78 R 13.04

69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MX$61.1

$2.72 R 45.36

23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MX$103

$3.28 R 54.5

73.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.14

$1.15 R 19.09

53.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$55.9

$1.07 R 17.80

187.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MX$35.70

$1.49 R 24.75

32.21%

Eggs

$2.79 MX$50.7

$2.85 R 47.54

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 MX$216

$8.90 R 148

33.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 MX$171

$5.33 R 88.8

76.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 MX$278

$8.94 R 149

71.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$57.3

$2.14 R 35.71

47.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MX$35.96

$1.56 R 26.04

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$37.60

$1.72 R 28.63

20.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$42.26

$1.85 R 30.73

25.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$37.57

$1.71 R 28.54

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$34.91

$1.47 R 24.44

30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.67

$1.27 R 21.20

19.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.05

$1.03 R 17.16

28.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 MX$95.5

$3.37 R 56.1

56.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 MX$306

$5.06 R 84.2

232.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$35.43

$1.23 R 20.52

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$79.4

$1.87 R 31.07

133.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

$1.57 R 26.13

-78.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.99 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MX$35.87

$0.65 R 10.81

204.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MX$10.42

$0.50 R 8.38

14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$98.5

$8.44 R 140

-35.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$27.74

$1.43 R 23.82

6.99%

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

$21.5K MX$390.2K

$36.7K R 611.2K

-41.46%

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

$25.3K MX$460.0K

$33.9K R 564.7K

-25.30%

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

$61.5 MX$1,117

$124 R 2,069

-50.49%

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

$27.38 MX$497

$35.82 R 596

-23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 MX$634

$46.54 R 775

-24.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 MX$1,032

$32.84 R 547

72.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.27 MX$459

$11.50 R 191

119.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 MX$124

$10.63 R 177

-35.65%

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

$438 MX$7,958

$184 R 3,065

138.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K MX$233.2K

$5,014 R 83.5K

156.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 MX$1,293

$72.3 R 1,203

-1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$976

$38.82 R 646

38.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,983

$114 R 1,894

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,120

$96.9 R 1,614

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 MX$19.1K

$399 R 6,651

162.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MX$12.5K

$369 R 6,143

85.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 MX$43.8K

$764 R 12.7K

215.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MX$22.8K

$766 R 12.8K

64.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$69.2K

$864 R 14.4K

341.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,994 MX$36.2K

$644 R 10.7K

209.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 MX$18.1K

$1,235 R 20.6K

-19.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.94

-5.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 26, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,050 in Mexico City and $399 in Grahamstown. 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: $51.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $201 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

Mexico City vs Grahamstown: 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.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Grahamstown. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,050 in Mexico City versus $399 in Grahamstown. 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 $1,591 per month in Mexico City versus $1,155 in Grahamstown – 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, Mexico City and Grahamstown 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.