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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,030 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,729 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,428 in Old Harbour.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in Old Harbour, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Old Harbour is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$16.02 JMD 2,510

-25.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$76.7 JMD 12.0K

-32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$8.77 JMD 1,374

30.10%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$5.49 JMD 861

-27.32%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.17 JMD 183

41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.69 JMD 109

92.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.18 JMD 342

59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.25 JMD 510

81.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$4.15 JMD 651

-54.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$3.77 JMD 590

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.59 JMD 249

35.85%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$3.63 JMD 569

-20.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$11.69 JMD 1,832

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.16 JMD 965

63.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.19 JMD 1,596

55.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$6.26 JMD 980

-47.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$4.03 JMD 631

-50.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$7.36 JMD 1,154

-70.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.99 JMD 468

-21.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$3.32 JMD 521

-38.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.74 JMD 430

-30.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$3.02 JMD 474

-46.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.51 JMD 237

-7.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$9.54 JMD 1,495

-42.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$11.52 JMD 1,806

53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.89 JMD 453

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$4.11 JMD 644

13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.18 JMD 185

77.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.24 JMD 507

-82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$6.25 JMD 980

-7.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.37 JMD 214

17.52%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-48.10%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

-19.72%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$176 JMD 27.6K

-63.05%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$30.18 JMD 4,730

-0.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$53.7 JMD 8,421

-30.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.56 JMD 2,125

-48.08%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$362 JMD 56.8K

28.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$8,258 JMD 1.3M

60.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$23.54 JMD 3,690

222.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$31.17 JMD 4,885

79.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$77.3 JMD 12.1K

44.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$102 JMD 16.0K

17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.45

19.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $77.0 in Old Harbour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $388 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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Old Harbour differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,030 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,545 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 $465 in Mexico City versus $362 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 $77.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Old Harbour versus $1,660 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.