Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $875 in Alexandria versus $1,102 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,419 in Alexandria versus $1,849 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,962 in Alexandria versus $2,595 in Portmore.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 21% less than in Portmore, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 34% lower, Portmore 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 JMD 1,209

$4.80 JMD 755

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 JMD 9,941

$62.4 JMD 9,810

1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 JMD 1,361

$8.68 JMD 1,365

-0.23%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 690

$4.41 JMD 693

-0.45%

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

$1.38 JMD 217

$0.63 JMD 98.7

119.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.50 JMD 78.9

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 JMD 384

$1.84 JMD 289

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 481

$2.25 JMD 354

36.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 665

$3.10 JMD 487

36.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 JMD 564

$3.55 JMD 558

1.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$1.02 JMD 160

52.94%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 565

$3.58 JMD 563

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 JMD 1,712

$10.86 JMD 1,707

0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 JMD 1,017

$6.19 JMD 973

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 JMD 1,189

$7.48 JMD 1,175

1.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 973

$5.91 JMD 929

4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 473

$2.99 JMD 470

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 JMD 670

$2.88 JMD 453

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 465

$3.04 JMD 478

-2.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.10 JMD 330

-4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 304

$1.92 JMD 302

1.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.52 JMD 239

103.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 229

$1.27 JMD 200

14.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.91 JMD 1,401

$8.66 JMD 1,361

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 JMD 1,796

$11.16 JMD 1,754

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 JMD 438

$2.80 JMD 440

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 JMD 501

$2.13 JMD 335

49.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 JMD 250

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 JMD 9,968

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$0.93 JMD 146

20.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 JMD 497

$3.22 JMD 507

-1.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 JMD 1,003

$6.43 JMD 1,011

-0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.09 JMD 171

13.76%

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

$42.3K JMD 6.7M

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

-0.06%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

1.62%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$156 JMD 24.6K

2.91%

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

$22.05 JMD 3,466

$21.70 JMD 3,411

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 JMD 7,902

$51.4 JMD 8,082

-2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 JMD 2,035

$13.24 JMD 2,081

-2.27%

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

$223 JMD 35.0K

$227 JMD 35.6K

-1.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,485 JMD 390.6K

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.59 JMD 4,179

$25.67 JMD 4,035

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.10 JMD 3,945

$26.00 JMD 4,087

-3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 JMD 11.2K

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 JMD 48.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 JMD 35.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 JMD 103.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 JMD 91.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

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

Last update for Alexandria: July 27, 2026

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Alexandria vs $62.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $317 per month, with Portmore 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

Alexandria vs Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria and Portmore differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($875 vs $1,102 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Alexandria and $1,653 in Portmore to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $223 in Alexandria versus $227 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $62.0 in Portmore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Alexandria versus $1,102 in Portmore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Portmore. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria 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.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Portmore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.