Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Jamaica Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,123 per month in Mexico vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Mexico vs $1,182 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,455 per month in Mexico vs $1,646 in Jamaica, rent included.

Mexico costs about 57% more than Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Mexico and Jamaica are more affordable than the global median – Mexico 16% lower, Jamaica 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 MX$182

$8.75 JMD 1,376

19.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 MX$734

$63.1 JMD 9,921

-33.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$142

$8.06 JMD 1,268

1.24%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$58.6

$3.79 JMD 596

-11.35%

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

$1.33 MX$23.22

$1.22 JMD 192

9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.82

$0.75 JMD 118

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.68

$2.55 JMD 401

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$74.4

$3.09 JMD 486

37.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.68

$3.64 JMD 572

-57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$45.12

$2.96 JMD 466

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.46

$1.54 JMD 242

13.64%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.80

$3.36 JMD 529

-28.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$11.06 JMD 1,740

-24.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 MX$137

$7.71 JMD 1,213

2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.74 MX$188

$7.72 JMD 1,214

39.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$49.34

$6.12 JMD 963

-53.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$3.57 JMD 562

-59.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.45

$4.12 JMD 648

-53.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.68

$2.18 JMD 343

-14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.76

$2.34 JMD 368

-14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.25

$2.12 JMD 333

-1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$23.07

$2.24 JMD 352

-41.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.67

$1.25 JMD 196

-19.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.8

$9.35 JMD 1,470

-54.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$200

$12.49 JMD 1,964

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.97

$2.55 JMD 401

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 MX$51.3

$3.03 JMD 476

-2.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.27

$0.97 JMD 153

-32.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.49 MX$462

$48.74 JMD 7,666

-45.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$44.91

$0.91 JMD 143

182.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$34.30

$3.10 JMD 488

-36.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 MX$183

$8.20 JMD 1,289

27.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.76

$1.33 JMD 210

-2.26%

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

$20.4K MX$356.8K

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

-51.31%

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

$23.0K MX$401.0K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-28.71%

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

$62.3 MX$1,088

$139 JMD 21.8K

-55.01%

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

$23.43 MX$409

$22.71 JMD 3,571

3.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.55 MX$498

$46.34 JMD 7,289

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 MX$618

$57.3 JMD 9,016

-38.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 MX$318

$10.39 JMD 1,634

75.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 MX$80.8

$12.63 JMD 1,987

-63.34%

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

$252 MX$4,404

$221 JMD 34.8K

13.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,610 MX$97.9K

$3,588 JMD 564.3K

56.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$900

$26.05 JMD 4,097

97.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$699

$23.62 JMD 3,715

69.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 MX$1,622

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

42.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,559

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$670 JMD 105.3K

-2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 MX$7,940

$353 JMD 55.5K

28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$1,475 JMD 232.1K

-17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 MX$15.2K

$895 JMD 140.7K

-2.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,613 MX$45.6K

$2,708 JMD 426.0K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,574 MX$27.5K

$3,092 JMD 486.4K

-49.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$792 MX$13.8K

$754 JMD 118.6K

4.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.34

37.29%

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

Last update for Mexico: June 8, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $529 in Mexico vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $995 in Mexico City and $886 in Kingston.

Average salary: $769 in Mexico vs $750 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 10% more in Jamaica.

Public transport is 175% more expensive in Mexico.

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 vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 113% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Mexico, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Mexico consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Jamaica, contributing to the overall 113% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in Mexico it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Jamaica is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.