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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $859 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,358 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,856 in Negril.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Negril is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.46 JMD 1,173

73.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$50.1 JMD 7,882

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$8.56 JMD 1,347

10.16%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$2.06 JMD 323

73.30%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$1.32 JMD 208

21.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$0.76 JMD 119

51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.47 JMD 389

27.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$3.09 JMD 487

57.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$4.21 JMD 662

-59.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.49 JMD 549

-24.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$1.57 JMD 248

21.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$3.41 JMD 536

-25.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.85 JMD 1,707

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.29 JMD 989

31.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$7.67 JMD 1,206

50.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$5.99 JMD 942

-49.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$3.03 JMD 476

-43.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$4.29 JMD 675

-52.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$2.93 JMD 461

-29.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$2.08 JMD 327

-0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$1.95 JMD 307

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$3.07 JMD 484

-54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$1.49 JMD 234

-24.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$9.03 JMD 1,420

-52.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$11.59 JMD 1,823

32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$2.79 JMD 439

-40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$3.20 JMD 504

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$1.09 JMD 171

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$3.24 JMD 510

-91.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$6.15 JMD 967

-11.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$1.28 JMD 201

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

-55.75%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-31.27%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$164 JMD 25.8K

-74.95%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$22.38 JMD 3,520

20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$51.6 JMD 8,121

-42.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$13.20 JMD 2,076

-53.18%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$230 JMD 36.2K

85.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$2,528 JMD 397.6K

323.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$26.42 JMD 4,156

115.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$25.97 JMD 4,085

72.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$70.8 JMD 11.1K

47.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$984 JMD 154.7K

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Negril: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $984 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Negril. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $348, 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 68% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $859 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,289 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $984 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $230 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 $50.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Negril versus $1,447 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 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.