Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,243 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,094 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,944 in Portmore.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Portmore is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$10.22 JMD 1,602

16.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$62.2 JMD 9,744

-17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$8.98 JMD 1,408

27.06%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$5.19 JMD 814

-23.12%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.92 JMD 144

80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.65 JMD 102

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.17 JMD 341

59.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.18 JMD 341

170.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$3.10 JMD 486

-39.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$3.55 JMD 556

-8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.00 JMD 156

116.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$3.48 JMD 545

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$11.36 JMD 1,780

13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.46 JMD 1,012

55.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.35 JMD 1,465

69.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$6.05 JMD 948

-45.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$3.94 JMD 618

-48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.93 JMD 460

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$3.00 JMD 470

-21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$3.18 JMD 498

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.60 JMD 407

-26.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.57 JMD 247

2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.24 JMD 195

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$9.26 JMD 1,451

-41.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$11.47 JMD 1,797

53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.93 JMD 459

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.16 JMD 338

116.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$2.35 JMD 368

-85.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$51.3 JMD 8,042

-59.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.99 JMD 156

112.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.23 JMD 506

-82.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$6.21 JMD 973

-6.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.27 JMD 199

26.77%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$44.9K JMD 7.0M

-49.18%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$33.4K JMD 5.2M

-19.99%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$161 JMD 25.3K

-59.59%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$29.50 JMD 4,623

2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$53.6 JMD 8,401

-30.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$59.6 JMD 9,343

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.54 JMD 2,122

-48.01%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$284 JMD 44.6K

63.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$3,108 JMD 487.1K

327.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$23.31 JMD 3,654

225.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$32.31 JMD 5,064

73.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$77.9 JMD 12.2K

43.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$94.4 JMD 14.8K

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$313 JMD 49.1K

252.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$219 JMD 34.3K

229.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$659 JMD 103.2K

284.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$607 JMD 95.1K

113.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$7,565 JMD 1.2M

-47.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$5,760 JMD 902.8K

-63.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,294 JMD 202.8K

-19.85%

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 Portmore: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $313 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Portmore. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $337, with Portmore 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Portmore differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,243 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Portmore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $313 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Portmore runs roughly 147% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $284 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,243 in Portmore versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.