Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Grays

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,369 in Grays, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Grays
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Grays

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Grays actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $2,369 in Grays, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Grays $2,369

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $3,403 in Grays, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Grays $3,403

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $4,437 in Grays, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Grays $4,437

Mexico City is about 34% cheaper than Grays, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Grays sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Grays by 75%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$24.94 £18.71
-56.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$52.3 £39.24
-3.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$9.98 £7.49
11.22%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$4.64 £3.48
-20.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$3.86 £2.90
-57.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$3.32 £2.49
-60.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$5.40 £4.05
-38.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$7.88 £5.91
-29.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.55 £1.16
14.19%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.47 £1.10
107.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.64 £1.23
22.56%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$4.41 £3.31
-37.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$12.06 £9.05
-1.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$9.17 £6.88
1.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$15.11 £11.33
-0.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$2.95 £2.21
4.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.89 £1.42
3.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$2.82 £2.11
-28.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$3.77 £2.83
-41.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$2.20 £1.65
-8.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.79 £1.35
1.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.18 £0.88
28.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.43 £1.07
-10.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$17.07 £12.80
-69.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$10.87 £8.16
48.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$3.04 £2.28
-35.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$3.23 £2.42
31.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$3.54 £2.66
-91.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$97.5 £73.1
-79.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$4.88 £3.66
-59.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$2.69 £2.02
-80.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$39.12 £29.35
-85.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$2.06 £1.54
-26.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$38.6K £29.0K
-45.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$40.9K £30.7K
-38.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$280 £210
-77.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$16.46 £12.35
74.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$44.70 £33.53
-22.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$46.48 £34.87
22.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$11.16 £8.37
-40.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$2,079 £1,559
-79.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$30.6K £23.0K
-61.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$90.9 £68.2
-22.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$44.44 £33.34
16.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$105 £78.4
4.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$88.0 £66.0
27.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$1,235 £926
-14.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$1,012 £759
-34.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$2,126 £1,595
10.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$1,634 £1,226
-24.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$5,052 £3,790
-29.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$3,847 £2,886
-48.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Grays
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
5.12
120.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Grays
$1K 52.2% $347
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Grays
$313 2.9% $9.4
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Grays
$357 75.8% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Grays
$148 4.6% $7.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Grays
$341 171% $215
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Grays
$69 2.3% $1.6
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Grays
$130 404% $104

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,235 in Grays. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $52.0 in Grays. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Mexico City vs $313 in Grays – so Grays wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇧 Grays
🕒 Local time
02:38 2:38 AM
09:38 9:38 AM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
36,601
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Grays 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Grays

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Grays: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grays cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Grays is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $3,553 in Grays. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Grays?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,567 in Mexico City and $2,369 in Grays. That's a gap of about 51%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 391% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Grays?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Grays at $2,369. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Grays it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or Grays more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mexico City or Grays?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Grays makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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