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 $1,265 per month in Mexico vs $826 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,025 per month in Mexico vs $1,356 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Mexico vs $1,885 in Jamaica, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is about 53% higher than in Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Mexico and Jamaica are more affordable than the global median – Mexico 8% lower, Jamaica 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 MX$202

$11.25 JMD 1,767

5.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 MX$788

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

-39.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MX$169

$8.07 JMD 1,267

23.79%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$64.5

$4.39 JMD 690

-13.44%

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

$1.53 MX$26.00

$1.20 JMD 189

27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.64

$0.71 JMD 112

54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.25 JMD 354

34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$80.0

$3.86 JMD 607

22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.16

$3.73 JMD 586

-53.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.27 JMD 513

-9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.73

$1.59 JMD 250

17.61%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.39

$3.88 JMD 609

-32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 MX$171

$11.91 JMD 1,870

-15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$8.21 JMD 1,290

11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 MX$214

$8.80 JMD 1,383

43.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$51.6

$6.61 JMD 1,039

-54.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$29.88

$3.76 JMD 591

-53.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.14

$4.90 JMD 769

-56.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.20

$2.67 JMD 420

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.43

$2.76 JMD 434

-19.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.35

$2.46 JMD 386

-10.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$25.34

$2.58 JMD 405

-42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.15

$1.39 JMD 218

-10.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 MX$84.9

$9.96 JMD 1,565

-49.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 MX$200

$12.12 JMD 1,903

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.79

$2.76 JMD 433

-32.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$60.5

$3.22 JMD 506

10.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.79

$0.97 JMD 152

-28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.98 MX$492

$45.88 JMD 7,207

-36.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 MX$49.14

$0.97 JMD 153

198.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 MX$50.5

$3.12 JMD 490

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$201

$7.54 JMD 1,184

56.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.32 JMD 208

17.42%

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

$22.5K MX$381.3K

$40.9K JMD 6.4M

-45.05%

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

$26.2K MX$444.3K

$28.8K JMD 4.5M

-9.09%

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

$75.6 MX$1,283

$155 JMD 24.4K

-51.29%

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

$25.85 MX$438

$27.02 JMD 4,244

-4.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 MX$526

$50.1 JMD 7,875

-38.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.98 MX$678

$54.3 JMD 8,526

-26.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 MX$323

$14.81 JMD 2,327

28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$13.48 JMD 2,118

-59.20%

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

$280 MX$4,745

$344 JMD 54.0K

-18.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,643 MX$112.7K

$5,151 JMD 809.2K

28.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MX$1,036

$29.66 JMD 4,659

105.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 MX$777

$29.21 JMD 4,588

56.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,818

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

39.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,676

$92.1 JMD 14.5K

7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.0K

$819 JMD 128.6K

-6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MX$8,320

$431 JMD 67.6K

13.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 MX$24.8K

$1,754 JMD 275.5K

-16.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 MX$16.4K

$1,141 JMD 179.2K

-15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 MX$46.1K

$3,971 JMD 623.7K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 MX$27.1K

$3,267 JMD 513.2K

-51.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$821 MX$13.9K

$762 JMD 119.7K

7.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

9.61

18.94%

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

Last update for Mexico: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $668 in Mexico vs $177 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,148 in Mexico City and $955 in Kingston.

Average salary: $787 in Mexico vs $752 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 277% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 13% more in Jamaica.

Public transport is 225% 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 115% 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 115% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 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.