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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,482 in Kingston.

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$7.46 JMD 1,176

75.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$61.7 JMD 9,720

-12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.58 JMD 1,352

12.82%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$4.39 JMD 692

-14.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.33 JMD 209

21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.74 JMD 117

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$2.43 JMD 383

32.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$3.10 JMD 489

52.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$4.33 JMD 682

-61.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$3.49 JMD 551

-21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.64 JMD 258

14.02%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$3.61 JMD 568

-30.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.20 JMD 1,765

-8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.45 JMD 1,016

27.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.82 JMD 1,232

51.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$5.99 JMD 945

-49.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$2.98 JMD 470

-39.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$4.21 JMD 663

-52.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$2.90 JMD 457

-31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$2.02 JMD 319

2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$2.00 JMD 315

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$3.01 JMD 475

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$1.51 JMD 238

-28.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$11.47 JMD 1,808

48.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$2.78 JMD 438

-37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$3.04 JMD 480

17.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.81 JMD 128

-51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-62.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.09 JMD 171

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$3.22 JMD 507

-91.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$6.34 JMD 999

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.24 JMD 196

8.06%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-55.32%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-30.10%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$161 JMD 25.3K

-74.70%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$22.24 JMD 3,504

20.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-41.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-23.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$15.91 JMD 2,508

67.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-51.35%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$222 JMD 35.0K

92.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

314.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$25.81 JMD 4,068

121.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$25.49 JMD 4,017

78.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

46.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

43.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$880 JMD 138.6K

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$451 JMD 71.2K

37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

2.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

35.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

-5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$732 JMD 115.4K

41.74%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $880 in Kingston. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $351 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 42% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $222 in Kingston. 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.