Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

May Pen $722
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

May Pen $818
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

May Pen $914
Mexico City $3,490

Living in May Pen costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 47% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$1.72 MX$32.15

29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.04 MX$56.7

21.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.94 MX$36.19

60.82%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$2.89 MX$53.8

16.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$9.25 MX$172

-17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$15.13 MX$282

-66.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$3.05 MX$56.8

-47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$1.94 MX$36.19

154.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$2.03 MX$37.75

211.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.31 MX$43.15

-19.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.04 MX$37.94

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.80 MX$33.55

7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$1.48 MX$27.58

108.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.27 MX$23.63

128.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$1.98 MX$36.97

14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.51 MX$28.16

-6.62%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$27.39 MX$511

55.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$35.67 MX$665

50.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$68.2 MX$1,272

-76.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$53.1 MX$990

-59.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$108 MX$2,009

-61.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$117 MX$2,186

-55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.4K

$710 MX$13.2K

-59.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

May Pen Mexico City 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

May Pen
Mexico City

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

May Pen vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $2,412 in Mexico City 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $722 per month in May Pen versus $1,608 in Mexico City – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen 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.