Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ocho Rios Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ocho Rios

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $928 in Ocho Rios.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,932 in Ocho Rios.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,936 in Ocho Rios.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than Ocho Rios, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ocho Rios is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.32 JMD 1,151

80.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$62.2 JMD 9,776

-13.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.30 JMD 991

49.52%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.79 JMD 438

27.24%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.38 JMD 217

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.76 JMD 119

46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.26 JMD 355

38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.17 JMD 499

46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$3.95 JMD 621

-56.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.72 JMD 427

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.56 JMD 245

22.44%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.47 JMD 546

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.48 JMD 1,018

54.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.34 JMD 998

27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.47 JMD 1,175

55.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.90 JMD 927

-49.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$3.16 JMD 497

-42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.11 JMD 646

-51.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.26 JMD 355

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.04 JMD 322

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.03 JMD 319

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$2.08 JMD 328

-32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.08 JMD 170

4.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$8.97 JMD 1,410

-52.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.63 JMD 1,514

61.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.45 JMD 386

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.02 JMD 475

19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.54 JMD 243

-75.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.65 JMD 102

112.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.96 JMD 151

-70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.38 JMD 1,003

-14.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.28 JMD 202

1.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

-56.45%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$33.9K JMD 5.3M

-31.73%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$103 JMD 16.2K

-60.46%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$22.01 JMD 3,460

21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$38.06 JMD 5,985

-21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$15.73 JMD 2,473

230.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.80 JMD 912

362.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.46 JMD 1,802

-45.03%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$224 JMD 35.2K

94.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$2,461 JMD 387.0K

323.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$15.92 JMD 2,504

255.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$12.36 JMD 1,943

259.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$50.8 JMD 7,983

102.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$63.2 JMD 9,937

66.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$382 JMD 60.0K

167.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$185 JMD 29.0K

241.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,185 JMD 186.4K

80.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,217 JMD 191.4K

2.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

126.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ocho Rios: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $382 in Ocho Rios. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Ocho Rios for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $306 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 Ocho Rios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ocho Rios differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $928 including rent). Ocho Rios is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,391 in Ocho Rios 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $382 in Ocho Rios. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $224 in Ocho Rios. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ocho Rios – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $928 in Ocho Rios versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ocho Rios but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ocho Rios 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 Ocho Rios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.