Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,178 in Montego Bay versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,166 in Montego Bay versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Montego Bay versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Montego Bay costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montego Bay is 13% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 JMD 1,741

$12.03 MX$213

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$52.8 MX$934

46.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 JMD 1,370

$11.69 MX$207

-25.58%

Cappuccino

$5.47 JMD 861

$3.87 MX$68.4

41.34%

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

$0.94 JMD 148

$1.75 MX$30.94

-46.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 113

$1.39 MX$24.65

-48.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 340

$3.36 MX$59.4

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 JMD 494

$5.77 MX$102

-45.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.37 JMD 530

$1.81 MX$31.92

86.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 JMD 435

$3.08 MX$54.5

-10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 JMD 226

$2.13 MX$37.65

-32.39%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 568

$2.98 MX$52.6

21.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 JMD 1,821

$12.53 MX$221

-7.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 973

$10.24 MX$181

-39.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 JMD 1,412

$15.92 MX$281

-43.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 JMD 670

$3.39 MX$59.8

25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 JMD 391

$2.11 MX$37.24

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 JMD 1,155

$2.13 MX$37.59

244.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 JMD 394

$2.47 MX$43.61

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 JMD 391

$2.04 MX$36.03

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 JMD 418

$2.01 MX$35.59

31.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 JMD 391

$1.59 MX$28.15

56.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 JMD 127

$1.33 MX$23.50

-39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 JMD 1,472

$5.49 MX$97.0

70.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 JMD 1,820

$17.52 MX$310

-33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 JMD 461

$2.01 MX$35.61

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 JMD 620

$4.74 MX$83.8

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 JMD 155

$0.34 MX$5.94

188.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 JMD 156

$2.05 MX$36.28

-51.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 492

$0.61 MX$10.75

411.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 JMD 1,021

$5.70 MX$101

13.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 218

$1.59 MX$28.09

-12.58%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

$22.9K MX$404.6K

93.10%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$26.4K MX$466.2K

24.67%

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

$173 JMD 27.3K

$64.2 MX$1,135

169.82%

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

$22.53 JMD 3,546

$29.42 MX$520

-23.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.60 JMD 7,492

$36.83 MX$651

29.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.00 JMD 6,924

$58.7 MX$1,038

-25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$8.79 JMD 1,383

$6.95 MX$123

26.47%

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

$361 JMD 56.8K

$463 MX$8,180

-22.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,185 JMD 1.3M

$13.4K MX$236.2K

-38.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.48 JMD 3,695

$75.4 MX$1,333

-68.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.27 JMD 4,922

$54.2 MX$958

-42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 JMD 11.2K

$111 MX$1,965

-36.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$122 MX$2,160

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 JMD 49.1K

$1,133 MX$20.0K

-72.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 JMD 34.8K

$698 MX$12.3K

-68.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 JMD 147.5K

$2,442 MX$43.2K

-61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 JMD 149.5K

$1,303 MX$23.0K

-27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 JMD 94.3K

$1,052 MX$18.6K

-43.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.3

-16.37%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: September 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Montego Bay and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Montego Bay vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $343, with Montego Bay cheaper for home cooking.

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

Montego Bay vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montego Bay and Mexico City differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,178 vs $1,668 including rent). Montego Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Mexico City. 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: $312 in Montego Bay versus $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $361 in Montego Bay versus $463 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montego Bay – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Montego Bay versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montego Bay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Montego Bay 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 Montego Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.