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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Kingston is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 11% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,176

$13.07 MX$229

-42.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,720

$53.8 MX$942

14.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,352

$9.68 MX$170

-11.36%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 692

$3.74 MX$65.5

17.38%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$1.62 MX$28.32

-17.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$1.16 MX$20.36

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$3.23 MX$56.6

-24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$4.74 MX$83.1

-34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 682

$1.65 MX$28.87

162.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$2.75 MX$48.26

26.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.87 MX$32.84

-12.30%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 568

$2.50 MX$43.82

44.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,765

$10.20 MX$179

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$8.25 MX$145

-21.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,232

$11.82 MX$207

-33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 945

$3.01 MX$52.7

99.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$1.81 MX$31.75

64.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 663

$2.00 MX$35.04

110.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$2.00 MX$34.97

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$2.08 MX$36.53

-2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.27 MX$39.82

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$1.46 MX$25.53

106.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$1.08 MX$18.86

39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,357

$4.35 MX$76.2

97.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,808

$16.99 MX$298

-32.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.73 MX$30.38

60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$3.58 MX$62.7

-15.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$0.39 MX$6.79

107.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,751

$18.69 MX$327

163.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.33 MX$23.23

-18.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$0.28 MX$4.90

1050.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 999

$5.25 MX$92.1

20.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.34 MX$23.42

-7.46%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$19.4K MX$340.2K

123.84%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$23.8K MX$417.7K

43.07%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$40.69 MX$713

295.18%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,504

$26.87 MX$471

-17.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,191

$30.51 MX$535

70.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$52.8 MX$925

30.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,508

$26.65 MX$467

-40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,109

$6.51 MX$114

105.53%

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

$222 JMD 35.0K

$428 MX$7,502

-48.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

$10.5K MX$184.0K

-75.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,068

$57.3 MX$1,003

-54.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,017

$45.50 MX$797

-43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$104 MX$1,824

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$108 MX$1,890

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.6K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$623 MX$10.9K

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-4.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-2.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-26.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

$2,033 MX$35.6K

5.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.4K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-29.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.34

-19.31%

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

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $292 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Mexico City. 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: $880 in Kingston versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,482 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.