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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $861 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,352 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $1,842 in Negril.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Negril is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$230

$7.30 JMD 1,156

82.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$931

$50.4 JMD 7,977

6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$8.96 JMD 1,418

3.68%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.5

$1.97 JMD 311

83.25%

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

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.35 JMD 214

15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.42

$0.76 JMD 120

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.48 JMD 393

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.5

$3.07 JMD 485

53.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$4.19 JMD 663

-59.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$47.92

$3.52 JMD 557

-21.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.97

$1.61 JMD 254

21.74%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.11

$3.47 JMD 548

-25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$172

$11.10 JMD 1,757

-10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$140

$6.23 JMD 986

30.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$199

$7.73 JMD 1,223

48.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.72

$6.06 JMD 960

-52.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.00

$3.00 JMD 474

-42.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$4.18 JMD 661

-52.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.30

$3.04 JMD 482

-32.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.06

$2.10 JMD 333

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.03

$2.01 JMD 318

9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.18

$3.13 JMD 496

-53.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.44 JMD 227

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$9.02 JMD 1,428

-52.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$248

$11.36 JMD 1,799

26.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.55

$2.78 JMD 440

-36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.1

$3.16 JMD 501

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.13

$1.09 JMD 172

22.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$3.13 JMD 495

-91.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.4

$6.14 JMD 972

-13.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.29 JMD 205

3.88%

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

$19.1K MX$331.2K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-55.64%

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

$23.9K MX$413.6K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-28.84%

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

$39.86 MX$690

$164 JMD 26.0K

-75.71%

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

$26.78 MX$464

$22.52 JMD 3,564

18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$509

$51.2 JMD 8,105

-42.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$925

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$12.95 JMD 2,050

-50.58%

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

$440 MX$7,629

$230 JMD 36.4K

91.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.2K

$2,512 JMD 397.6K

327.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$998

$25.57 JMD 4,047

125.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$780

$25.37 JMD 4,015

77.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,797

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

44.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,870

$77.5 JMD 12.3K

39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.5K

$1,011 JMD 160.0K

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.6K

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Negril: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $1,011 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $50 in Negril. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $861 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,226 in Mexico City and $1,292 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: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Negril versus $1,484 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.