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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,086 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,829 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,572 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 8% above, Portmore is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.79 JMD 754

170.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$62.6 JMD 9,843

-15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$8.99 JMD 1,413

4.89%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$4.39 JMD 691

-18.68%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.63 JMD 99.8

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.55 JMD 85.8

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.93 JMD 303

63.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.21 JMD 348

119.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$3.06 JMD 481

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$3.60 JMD 566

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.01 JMD 159

88.12%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.50 JMD 550

-27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$11.11 JMD 1,748

-9.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.26 JMD 984

32.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.48 JMD 1,177

54.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$5.86 JMD 922

-48.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$3.01 JMD 473

-43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.93 JMD 461

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.96 JMD 466

-30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.04 JMD 321

0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.94 JMD 305

11.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.59 JMD 250

-11.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.24 JMD 195

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$8.96 JMD 1,409

-52.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$11.53 JMD 1,814

33.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.84 JMD 447

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.13 JMD 334

73.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.52 JMD 240

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$63.3 JMD 9,958

-69.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.92 JMD 145

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$3.19 JMD 502

-91.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.31 JMD 993

-14.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.08 JMD 171

18.52%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

-55.44%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

-29.10%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$155 JMD 24.4K

-73.55%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$21.91 JMD 3,446

22.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$50.2 JMD 7,897

-40.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$13.38 JMD 2,104

-53.81%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$226 JMD 35.5K

89.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

325.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$26.22 JMD 4,123

116.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$26.01 JMD 4,090

72.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

44.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$317 JMD 49.9K

213.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$218 JMD 34.3K

184.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$663 JMD 104.2K

220.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$597 JMD 93.9K

109.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

-49.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

-64.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

-14.45%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Portmore: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $317 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 17% 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 $288 vs $318 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 ($1,447 vs $1,086 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Portmore earns 17% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $317 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 232% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $226 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,447 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.