Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $870 in Negril versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,358 in Negril versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,846 in Negril versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Negril costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Negril is 35% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 JMD 1,195

$13.16 MX$229

-42.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.34 JMD 7,770

$53.6 MX$934

-7.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 JMD 1,418

$9.55 MX$167

-5.76%

Cappuccino

$1.97 JMD 310

$3.72 MX$64.9

-47.04%

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

$1.32 JMD 208

$1.57 MX$27.33

-15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 119

$1.16 MX$20.16

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 JMD 388

$3.18 MX$55.5

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 482

$4.63 MX$80.8

-33.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.40 JMD 693

$1.71 MX$29.74

157.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 JMD 546

$2.62 MX$45.63

32.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 247

$1.89 MX$32.93

-16.93%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 560

$2.60 MX$45.26

36.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 JMD 1,732

$9.91 MX$173

11.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 JMD 985

$8.22 MX$143

-23.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 JMD 1,229

$11.78 MX$205

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 956

$3.00 MX$52.2

102.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 495

$1.80 MX$31.38

74.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 JMD 671

$2.07 MX$36.16

105.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 JMD 458

$1.97 MX$34.30

47.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 317

$2.07 MX$36.13

-2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.17 MX$37.92

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 483

$1.40 MX$24.46

119.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$1.07 MX$18.74

34.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.57 JMD 1,350

$4.12 MX$71.8

108.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 JMD 1,799

$17.42 MX$304

-34.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 443

$1.68 MX$29.22

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.65 MX$63.6

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.33 MX$23.18

-18.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 493

$0.30 MX$5.28

943.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JMD 979

$5.51 MX$96.1

12.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 JMD 200

$1.31 MX$22.76

-3.05%

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

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

$19.2K MX$334.2K

124.29%

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

$33.9K JMD 5.3M

$23.7K MX$414.1K

42.76%

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

$165 JMD 26.0K

$41.14 MX$717

301.24%

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

$22.25 JMD 3,505

$27.74 MX$484

-19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 JMD 8,024

$30.13 MX$525

69.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$937

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 JMD 2,057

$6.49 MX$113

101.23%

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

$230 JMD 36.2K

$437 MX$7,614

-47.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,500 JMD 393.7K

$10.5K MX$182.3K

-76.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.79 JMD 4,061

$58.3 MX$1,017

-55.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.48 JMD 4,013

$45.86 MX$800

-44.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 JMD 11.4K

$101 MX$1,769

-28.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

$107 MX$1,858

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 JMD 158.0K

$1,005 MX$17.5K

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.34

-19.31%

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

Last update for Negril: July 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Negril and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Negril vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $291, with Mexico City 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

Negril vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negril and Mexico City differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($870 vs $1,481 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,305 in Negril and $2,222 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Negril versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Negril versus $437 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 Negril – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $870 in Negril versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Negril 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 Negril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.