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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 2% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$15.95 JMD 2,513

-24.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$8.81 JMD 1,388

23.72%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.9

$5.22 JMD 823

-22.41%

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

$1.72 MX$29.15

$1.19 JMD 188

44.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.41

$0.69 JMD 109

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$2.19 JMD 345

58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.8

$3.08 JMD 486

88.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.50

$4.06 JMD 639

-54.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.8

$3.74 JMD 589

-13.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.44

$1.66 JMD 261

25.90%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.44

$3.61 JMD 570

-19.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$11.58 JMD 1,826

7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.19 JMD 975

63.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$10.12 JMD 1,595

57.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$6.12 JMD 964

-45.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.14

$3.99 JMD 629

-46.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.22

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-70.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.59

$3.11 JMD 491

-21.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$3.23 JMD 510

-32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.37

$2.64 JMD 416

-28.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.45

$3.01 JMD 474

-46.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.94

$1.46 JMD 231

-7.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.2

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-44.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

$11.32 JMD 1,785

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.14

$2.78 JMD 439

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.7

$3.96 JMD 625

19.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.78

$0.81 JMD 128

-58.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$367

$38.60 JMD 6,082

-44.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.67

$1.23 JMD 193

65.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$3.14 JMD 496

-81.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$6.15 JMD 970

-2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.46

$1.36 JMD 215

19.12%

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

$22.8K MX$387.6K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-47.78%

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

$26.7K MX$453.1K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-17.71%

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

$65.2 MX$1,109

$172 JMD 27.1K

-62.04%

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

$29.87 MX$508

$29.66 JMD 4,675

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-30.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,037

$62.6 JMD 9,862

-2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$454

$17.94 JMD 2,827

48.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-48.69%

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

$453 MX$7,705

$367 JMD 57.8K

23.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.2K

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

61.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,274

$23.88 JMD 3,764

213.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$940

$31.86 JMD 5,020

73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,931

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

43.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,084

$102 JMD 16.1K

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$972 JMD 153.2K

16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$563 JMD 88.7K

26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

21.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

-8.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

37.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

2.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

$757 JMD 119.3K

38.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.45

19.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $384 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

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.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Kingston, a $3,000 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 $1,646 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.