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 $1,122 per month in Mexico vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,785 per month in Mexico vs $1,180 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,447 per month in Mexico vs $1,643 in Jamaica, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is about 56% 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 16% lower, Jamaica 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$183

$8.87 JMD 1,395

18.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 MX$740

$63.0 JMD 9,912

-32.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$134

$8.24 JMD 1,296

-6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$60.0

$3.59 JMD 565

-4.18%

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

$1.26 MX$22.00

$1.26 JMD 199

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.80 JMD 125

13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.09

$2.44 JMD 383

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.9

$3.12 JMD 491

37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.79

$3.67 JMD 578

-59.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.51

$2.89 JMD 454

-11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.75

$1.61 JMD 253

6.21%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$41.17

$3.43 JMD 540

-31.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$153

$11.20 JMD 1,762

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MX$132

$7.99 JMD 1,257

-5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 MX$192

$7.66 JMD 1,204

43.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.95

$6.16 JMD 969

-56.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.06

$3.70 JMD 582

-61.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.85

$4.12 JMD 648

-52.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.32

$2.19 JMD 345

-15.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.32

$2.36 JMD 371

-16.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.05

$2.07 JMD 325

-2.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$23.07

$2.23 JMD 351

-40.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$1.25 JMD 196

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$9.36 JMD 1,472

-56.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 MX$199

$12.11 JMD 1,905

-5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.74

$2.61 JMD 411

-36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$3.16 JMD 497

-3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.51

$0.96 JMD 151

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$458

$49.44 JMD 7,776

-46.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.88

$0.96 JMD 151

180.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.84

$3.14 JMD 493

-36.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$8.07 JMD 1,269

31.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.30

$1.32 JMD 207

-3.03%

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

$20.6K MX$359.9K

$41.6K JMD 6.5M

-50.43%

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

$23.2K MX$405.4K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-28.97%

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

$63.5 MX$1,107

$142 JMD 22.3K

-55.14%

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

$23.01 MX$401

$23.24 JMD 3,655

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MX$490

$45.82 JMD 7,207

-38.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 MX$625

$55.7 JMD 8,763

-35.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 MX$324

$10.44 JMD 1,643

78.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$82.2

$12.34 JMD 1,941

-61.83%

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

$248 MX$4,332

$227 JMD 35.8K

9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,644 MX$98.4K

$3,677 JMD 578.3K

53.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 MX$921

$26.56 JMD 4,178

98.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$726

$24.21 JMD 3,809

71.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MX$1,617

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MX$1,522

$81.8 JMD 12.9K

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.2K

$667 JMD 104.9K

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MX$7,660

$363 JMD 57.1K

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 MX$21.0K

$1,474 JMD 231.8K

-18.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.1K

$912 JMD 143.4K

-4.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.3K

$2,683 JMD 422.0K

-3.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 MX$27.4K

$3,062 JMD 481.5K

-48.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$807 MX$14.1K

$734 JMD 115.4K

9.95%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $530 in Mexico vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,014 in Mexico City and $909 in Kingston.

Average salary: $761 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 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 108% 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 108% 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.