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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,112 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,853 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,594 in Portmore.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than 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

$12.98 MX$227

$4.82 JMD 757

169.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$62.9 JMD 9,885

-15.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.78 JMD 1,380

10.71%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$4.23 JMD 665

-11.35%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.69 JMD 108

127.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.50 JMD 78.8

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.85 JMD 291

71.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.23 JMD 350

108.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.05 JMD 479

-46.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$3.63 JMD 571

-25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.99 JMD 155

89.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.53 JMD 554

-28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.18 JMD 1,757

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.44 JMD 1,011

28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.50 JMD 1,178

59.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.99 JMD 941

-52.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$3.11 JMD 488

-43.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.95 JMD 464

-29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.06 JMD 481

-35.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.01 JMD 315

7.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.99 JMD 313

9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.59 JMD 250

-12.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.28 JMD 201

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$8.71 JMD 1,368

-51.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$11.49 JMD 1,804

24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.84 JMD 446

-38.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.26 JMD 354

62.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.60 JMD 252

-75.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$62.9 JMD 9,884

-70.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.91 JMD 143

52.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$3.25 JMD 510

-90.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.29 JMD 988

-13.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.08 JMD 170

25.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

-55.80%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-31.46%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$156 JMD 24.5K

-73.79%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.40 JMD 3,518

22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$51.8 JMD 8,129

-41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$13.17 JMD 2,068

-52.39%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$224 JMD 35.2K

94.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,479 JMD 389.4K

322.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$25.93 JMD 4,073

118.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$25.32 JMD 3,977

76.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$69.7 JMD 11.0K

47.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$314 JMD 49.4K

218.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$215 JMD 33.8K

188.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$646 JMD 101.5K

230.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$598 JMD 93.8K

106.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$7,724 JMD 1.2M

-49.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$5,745 JMD 902.3K

-59.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,267 JMD 199.0K

-15.77%

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 Portmore: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $314 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $63.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $322 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,112 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Portmore earns 19% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $314 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 237% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $224 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,484 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.