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: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Kingston costs roughly 1% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 8% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,192

$13.18 MX$228

-42.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,707

$53.9 MX$932

14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,379

$9.42 MX$163

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 682

$3.55 MX$61.4

22.82%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$1.62 MX$27.98

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$1.11 MX$19.27

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 403

$3.12 MX$54.0

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 501

$4.63 MX$80.1

-30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 684

$1.70 MX$29.43

156.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 573

$2.72 MX$47.02

34.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 246

$1.91 MX$33.07

-17.80%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 543

$2.54 MX$43.86

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,754

$10.03 MX$174

11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,007

$8.09 MX$140

-20.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,225

$11.62 MX$201

-32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 933

$2.97 MX$51.3

100.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 491

$1.81 MX$31.24

72.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 673

$2.01 MX$34.82

113.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$2.03 MX$35.20

45.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$2.12 MX$36.75

-4.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$2.27 MX$39.25

-11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$1.40 MX$24.22

122.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 227

$1.13 MX$19.55

28.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,393

$4.27 MX$73.9

108.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,769

$15.56 MX$269

-27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$1.76 MX$30.39

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$3.60 MX$62.2

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$0.38 MX$6.62

134.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,604

$19.18 MX$332

153.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.38 MX$23.79

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$0.28 MX$4.78

1025.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 971

$5.45 MX$94.2

13.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.30 MX$22.55

-1.54%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

131.11%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

46.01%

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

$163 JMD 25.5K

$40.86 MX$707

298.48%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,523

$26.81 MX$464

-16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,942

$29.96 MX$518

69.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$52.0 MX$900

33.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

$26.84 MX$464

-42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,024

$6.30 MX$109

105.08%

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

$222 JMD 34.8K

$436 MX$7,544

-49.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-76.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,032

$56.7 MX$980

-54.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,955

$44.38 MX$768

-43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

$103 MX$1,780

-29.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

$106 MX$1,825

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 137.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.7K

$631 MX$10.9K

-28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-5.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-3.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 114.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-34.34%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $288 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

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mexico City earns 52% less. 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 $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,451 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.