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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $728 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,159 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,591 in Old Harbour.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than Old Harbour, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Old Harbour is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$6.35 JMD 1,000

104.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$31.10 JMD 4,898

68.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$4.99 JMD 786

94.19%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$4.40 JMD 692

-14.77%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.91 JMD 144

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.60 JMD 95.1

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$2.52 JMD 397

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$3.05 JMD 480

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$4.20 JMD 662

-59.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$3.51 JMD 552

-23.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.57 JMD 247

20.38%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$3.54 JMD 557

-28.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$3.54 JMD 557

183.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$6.20 JMD 977

37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$7.68 JMD 1,210

55.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$6.08 JMD 957

-51.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$3.16 JMD 497

-43.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$4.11 JMD 647

-51.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$2.09 JMD 329

-6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.11 JMD 332

2.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$2.02 JMD 318

12.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$2.96 JMD 467

-52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$1.44 JMD 227

-22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$8.67 JMD 1,365

-51.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$11.12 JMD 1,751

48.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$2.79 JMD 439

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$3.09 JMD 486

16.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.09 JMD 171

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$3.21 JMD 505

-90.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$6.42 JMD 1,010

-16.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.09 JMD 171

18.35%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$42.9K JMD 6.8M

-55.95%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-29.22%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$49.97 JMD 7,869

-20.23%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$22.05 JMD 3,473

26.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$43.67 JMD 6,878

-31.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$12.94 JMD 2,038

-51.55%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$225 JMD 35.5K

91.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$2,479 JMD 390.5K

325.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$26.30 JMD 4,143

116.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$25.32 JMD 3,988

79.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$70.5 JMD 11.1K

44.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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 14, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Old Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $320, 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 99% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $728 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $1,091 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 $433 in Mexico City versus $225 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $728 in Old Harbour versus $1,448 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 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.