Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Old Harbour Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Old Harbour

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $711 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,621 in Old Harbour.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 109% more expensive than Old Harbour, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Old Harbour is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.21 JMD 976

109.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$31.39 JMD 4,930

69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.97 JMD 780

95.57%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$4.24 JMD 666

-11.56%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.97 JMD 152

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.60 JMD 94.7

88.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.53 JMD 397

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.06 JMD 481

52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$4.34 JMD 682

-62.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$3.65 JMD 573

-25.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.63 JMD 257

15.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.55 JMD 557

-29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$3.43 JMD 538

193.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.27 JMD 985

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.74 JMD 1,216

54.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$6.11 JMD 960

-53.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$3.10 JMD 487

-43.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.12 JMD 647

-49.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.08 JMD 327

-5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.02 JMD 317

6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.92 JMD 301

13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$3.13 JMD 492

-55.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.43 JMD 225

-21.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$8.58 JMD 1,347

-51.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$11.33 JMD 1,780

25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.87 JMD 450

-38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.15 JMD 495

16.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.09 JMD 171

27.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$3.24 JMD 508

-90.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.13 JMD 962

-11.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.07 JMD 169

26.17%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

-55.93%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-31.50%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$49.29 JMD 7,741

-17.18%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.49 JMD 3,532

22.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$43.21 JMD 6,786

-29.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$13.26 JMD 2,082

-52.71%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$230 JMD 36.1K

89.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,485 JMD 390.2K

321.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$25.58 JMD 4,018

121.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$25.78 JMD 4,049

73.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$71.2 JMD 11.2K

44.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Old Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $324, 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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Old Harbour differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $711 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,067 in Old Harbour 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.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $230 in Old Harbour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Old Harbour – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Old Harbour versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Old Harbour but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Old Harbour 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 Old Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.