Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Portmore

For one person, living is cheaper in Portmore: $1,246 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Portmore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $1,246 in Portmore, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Portmore $1,246

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $2,073 in Portmore, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Portmore $2,073

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $2,900 in Portmore, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Portmore $2,900

New York, NY costs about 297% more than Portmore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New York, NY sits 267% above the global median, while Portmore is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$10.15 JMD 1,603

142.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$63.3 JMD 10.0K

91.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$8.04 JMD 1,270

73.01%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.43 JMD 859

21.36%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$0.90 JMD 143

326.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.66 JMD 104

334.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$2.18 JMD 345

257.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$2.16 JMD 342

356.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.02 JMD 478

-54.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.49 JMD 551

34.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$1.02 JMD 161

639.22%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.61 JMD 571

64.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$11.52 JMD 1,821

63.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$6.30 JMD 996

175.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$9.43 JMD 1,490

96.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.99 JMD 946

12.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.93 JMD 620

-46.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.96 JMD 468

105.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.01 JMD 476

123.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.30 JMD 521

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.60 JMD 411

68.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.59 JMD 251

81.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.26 JMD 199

106.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.64 JMD 1,523

94.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$11.24 JMD 1,776

78.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.81 JMD 444

15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.26 JMD 356

65.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.29 JMD 361

33.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$50.2 JMD 7,931

179.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.96 JMD 152

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.09 JMD 488

-30.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$6.24 JMD 985

570.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.18 JMD 187

-5.08%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-17.72%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

-19.43%

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

$219 $219

$155 JMD 24.5K

41.46%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$29.01 JMD 4,583

152.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$52.7 JMD 8,322

36.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$60.2 JMD 9,503

103.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$13.38 JMD 2,114

70.78%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$285 JMD 45.1K

1068.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$3,143 JMD 496.5K

1808.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$23.25 JMD 3,674

223.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$30.94 JMD 4,889

69.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

54.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$94.5 JMD 14.9K

40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$307 JMD 48.6K

1327.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$216 JMD 34.1K

1349.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$656 JMD 103.7K

1258.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$590 JMD 93.3K

806.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$7,466 JMD 1.2M

159.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$5,702 JMD 900.9K

19.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$1,301 JMD 205.5K

310.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

9.45

-27.83%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Portmore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Portmore

$216 17.3% 93.1% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Portmore

$336 27% 38.3% $209

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Portmore

$192 15.4% 52.4% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Portmore

$237 19% 35.1% $128

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Portmore

$102 8.2% 40.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Portmore

$87 7% 48.4% $81

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Portmore

$76 6.1% 54.5% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $307 in Portmore. 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 311% higher in New York, NY, 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $63.0 in Portmore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $336 – making Portmore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇯🇲 Portmore

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

170,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

JMD to USD in detail →

On the map

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New York, NY Portmore 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 297% more than Portmore, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $1,868 in Portmore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $285 in Portmore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Portmore, where all-in costs run around $1,246, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Portmore it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portmore costs $1,246 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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