Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montego Bay and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,169
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $2,141 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,141
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Montego Bay vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,113
Monterrey $3,433

Montego Bay is about 27% cheaper than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Montego Bay sits 13% below the global median, while Monterrey is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$13.85 MX$256

-19.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

$49.70 MX$918

48.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 JMD 1,319

$11.05 MX$204

-24.43%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 825

$4.09 MX$75.6

27.63%

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

$0.94 JMD 149

$1.68 MX$30.97

-44.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$1.03 MX$18.98

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 343

$2.40 MX$44.28

-9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 484

$4.35 MX$80.3

-29.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 JMD 522

$1.92 MX$35.55

71.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 JMD 413

$2.94 MX$54.2

-11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

$1.88 MX$34.66

-26.60%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$2.55 MX$47.06

36.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,775

$11.84 MX$219

-5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 968

$9.36 MX$173

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 JMD 1,430

$13.10 MX$242

-30.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 JMD 637

$3.38 MX$62.5

19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

$1.52 MX$28.13

66.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 JMD 1,151

$2.19 MX$40.51

232.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$2.36 MX$43.63

3.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 386

$2.26 MX$41.76

7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$2.73 MX$50.5

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 JMD 403

$1.52 MX$28.17

67.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$1.24 MX$22.90

-37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

$4.75 MX$87.8

92.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$13.66 MX$252

-18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$1.89 MX$34.95

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 JMD 640

$2.99 MX$55.2

35.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

$0.85 MX$15.78

12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

$1.68 MX$30.98

-44.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$1.13 MX$20.87

180.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

$11.15 MX$206

-43.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.56 MX$28.91

-13.46%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

$21.4K MX$395.8K

106.19%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

$25.1K MX$463.2K

30.22%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$119 MX$2,206

41.97%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

$26.21 MX$484

-13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 JMD 7,477

$26.78 MX$495

76.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 JMD 7,038

$31.03 MX$573

43.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 JMD 1,367

$5.29 MX$97.7

63.52%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$691 MX$12.8K

-48.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

$11.5K MX$212.1K

-28.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 JMD 3,713

$72.3 MX$1,335

-67.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 JMD 4,866

$42.72 MX$789

-27.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

$110 MX$2,024

-38.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$117 MX$2,158

-12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 JMD 50.2K

$970 MX$17.9K

-67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 JMD 35.1K

$664 MX$12.3K

-66.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-27.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 JMD 94.0K

$1,146 MX$21.2K

-48.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.79

-19.85%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$323 27.7%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$239 20.5%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 28% $67

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$222 19%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 199% $441

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$200 17.1%

Monterrey

$225 14% 12.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 52.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$62 5.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 32.7% $20

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 102% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Montego Bay versus $970 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 93% higher in Monterrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h behind Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montego Bay Monterrey 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 38% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $2,412 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Monterrey – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montego Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Monterrey at $1,608. In Montego Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montego Bay costs $1,169 versus $1,608 in Monterrey. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Montego Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.