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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,102 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,849 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,595 in Portmore.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Portmore is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$4.80 JMD 755

173.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$62.4 JMD 9,810

-14.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$8.68 JMD 1,365

7.49%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$4.41 JMD 693

-16.10%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.63 JMD 98.7

153.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.50 JMD 78.9

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.84 JMD 289

70.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$2.25 JMD 354

115.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$3.10 JMD 487

-46.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$3.55 JMD 558

-23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.02 JMD 160

87.25%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$3.58 JMD 563

-27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.86 JMD 1,707

-9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.19 JMD 973

36.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$7.48 JMD 1,175

59.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$5.91 JMD 929

-50.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$2.99 JMD 470

-41.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.88 JMD 453

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$3.04 JMD 478

-32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$2.10 JMD 330

2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.92 JMD 302

17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.52 JMD 239

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.27 JMD 200

-11.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$8.66 JMD 1,361

-51.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$11.16 JMD 1,754

56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.80 JMD 440

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.13 JMD 335

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$1.59 JMD 250

-77.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$63.4 JMD 9,968

-69.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.93 JMD 146

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.22 JMD 507

-91.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$6.43 JMD 1,011

-17.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$1.09 JMD 171

24.77%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

-54.90%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-29.72%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$156 JMD 24.6K

-74.09%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$21.70 JMD 3,411

26.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$51.4 JMD 8,082

-40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$13.24 JMD 2,081

-53.25%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$227 JMD 35.6K

87.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

338.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$25.67 JMD 4,035

127.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$26.00 JMD 4,087

71.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$310 JMD 48.8K

226.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$223 JMD 35.0K

179.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$661 JMD 103.9K

220.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$583 JMD 91.7K

109.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

-49.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

-64.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

-19.83%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $310 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $317 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Portmore differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,102 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $310 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 228% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $227 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Portmore versus $1,472 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.