Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Portmore

For one person, living is cheaper in Portmore: $1,246 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Portmore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,246 in Portmore.

Monterrey $1,608
Portmore $1,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $2,073 in Portmore.

Monterrey $2,521
Portmore $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $2,900 in Portmore.

Monterrey $3,433
Portmore $2,900

Living in Monterrey is roughly 29% more expensive than in Portmore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Portmore is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$10.15 JMD 1,603

36.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$63.3 JMD 10.0K

-21.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$8.04 JMD 1,270

37.44%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.43 JMD 859

-24.68%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.90 JMD 143

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.66 JMD 104

56.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$2.18 JMD 345

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$2.16 JMD 342

101.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$3.02 JMD 478

-36.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$3.49 JMD 551

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.02 JMD 161

84.31%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.61 JMD 571

-29.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$11.52 JMD 1,821

2.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$6.30 JMD 996

48.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$9.43 JMD 1,490

38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$5.99 JMD 946

-43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$3.93 JMD 620

-61.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$2.96 JMD 468

-26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$3.01 JMD 476

-21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$3.30 JMD 521

-31.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.60 JMD 411

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$1.59 JMD 251

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.26 JMD 199

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.64 JMD 1,523

-50.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$11.24 JMD 1,776

21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$2.81 JMD 444

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$2.26 JMD 356

32.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$2.29 JMD 361

-62.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$50.2 JMD 7,931

-38.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$0.96 JMD 152

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$3.09 JMD 488

-63.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$6.24 JMD 985

78.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$1.18 JMD 187

32.20%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-50.29%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

-22.44%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$155 JMD 24.5K

-22.88%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$29.01 JMD 4,583

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$52.7 JMD 8,322

-49.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$60.2 JMD 9,503

-48.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$13.38 JMD 2,114

-60.46%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$285 JMD 45.1K

142.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$3,143 JMD 496.5K

265.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$23.25 JMD 3,674

210.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$30.94 JMD 4,889

38.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

39.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$94.5 JMD 14.9K

23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$307 JMD 48.6K

215.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$216 JMD 34.1K

207.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$656 JMD 103.7K

182.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$590 JMD 93.3K

118.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$7,466 JMD 1.2M

-44.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$5,702 JMD 900.9K

-58.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$1,301 JMD 205.5K

-11.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

9.45

24.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Portmore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Portmore

$216 17.3% 67.5% $448

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Portmore

$336 27% 8.2% $26

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Portmore

$192 15.4% 14.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Portmore

$237 19% 37.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Portmore

$102 8.2% 33.4% $51

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Portmore

$76 6.1% 81.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Portmore

$87 7% 109% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $307 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $63.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $336 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇯🇲 Portmore

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

20:33 8:33 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

170,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Portmore 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Portmore

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

Monterrey vs Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Portmore differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $1,246 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Portmore. 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: $970 in Monterrey versus $307 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Portmore – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $1,246 in Portmore – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,246 in Portmore versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.