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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $948 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,482 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,016 in Negril.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Negril, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Negril is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$9.40 JMD 1,476

29.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$50.8 JMD 7,981

6.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.93 JMD 1,403

24.19%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.05 JMD 322

100.00%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.24 JMD 195

35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.73 JMD 115

90.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.25 JMD 354

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.20 JMD 502

83.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$4.22 JMD 663

-56.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.57 JMD 561

-11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.62 JMD 255

27.78%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.60 JMD 565

-18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.32 JMD 1,777

11.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.19 JMD 972

63.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.20 JMD 1,602

57.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$6.22 JMD 977

-45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$4.01 JMD 629

-48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$7.55 JMD 1,186

-71.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.97 JMD 466

-18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$3.31 JMD 519

-35.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.67 JMD 419

-24.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$3.00 JMD 471

-48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.45 JMD 228

-6.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$9.53 JMD 1,497

-39.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.53 JMD 1,812

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.85 JMD 447

-27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.99 JMD 626

15.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.21 JMD 191

69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$3.25 JMD 511

-82.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.17 JMD 970

-1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.40 JMD 219

10.71%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$44.1K JMD 6.9M

-48.11%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-16.77%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$175 JMD 27.5K

-61.50%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$29.72 JMD 4,669

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$53.8 JMD 8,448

-30.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$13.46 JMD 2,114

-47.18%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$367 JMD 57.6K

24.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$8,347 JMD 1.3M

64.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$23.68 JMD 3,719

213.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$31.28 JMD 4,914

82.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

46.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$102 JMD 16.0K

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,010 JMD 158.7K

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Negril: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $1,010 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $51.0 in Negril. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $384, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Negril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Negril differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $948 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,422 in Negril 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $1,010 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $367 in Negril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negril – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $948 in Negril versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Negril 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.

Expats usually find Negril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.