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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,451 in Kingston.

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.61 JMD 1,192

73.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.80 JMD 1,379

7.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.36 JMD 682

-18.58%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.32 JMD 207

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.74 JMD 117

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.57 JMD 403

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.20 JMD 501

44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$4.36 JMD 684

-61.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$3.66 JMD 573

-25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.57 JMD 246

21.66%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.47 JMD 543

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.19 JMD 1,754

-10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.42 JMD 1,007

26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.82 JMD 1,225

48.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$5.96 JMD 933

-50.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$3.13 JMD 491

-42.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$4.30 JMD 673

-53.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.96 JMD 464

-31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.03 JMD 317

4.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.01 JMD 315

12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$3.12 JMD 489

-55.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.45 JMD 227

-22.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-51.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.29 JMD 1,769

37.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.90 JMD 454

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.20 JMD 502

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.89 JMD 140

-57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-60.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.12 JMD 176

23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.15 JMD 494

-91.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.19 JMD 971

-11.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.28 JMD 201

1.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-56.73%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-31.51%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$163 JMD 25.5K

-74.90%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$22.49 JMD 3,523

19.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-40.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-25.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.50 JMD 2,428

73.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-51.24%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$222 JMD 34.8K

96.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

325.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$25.73 JMD 4,032

120.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$25.24 JMD 3,955

75.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$880 JMD 137.9K

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$451 JMD 70.7K

39.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

3.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

36.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

-5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$732 JMD 114.7K

52.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.15

23.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $880 in Kingston. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $353 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

Mexico City vs Kingston: 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.

Mexico City pays 52% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $222 in Kingston. 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.