Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Alexandria, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,006 a month against $1,250 in Portmore, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,250

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portmore and in Alexandria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Portmore versus $1,006 in Alexandria.

Portmore $1,250
Alexandria $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,081 in Portmore versus $1,667 in Alexandria.

Portmore $2,081
Alexandria $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,912 in Portmore versus $2,327 in Alexandria.

Portmore $2,912
Alexandria $2,327

Living in Portmore is roughly 24% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portmore 8% lower, Alexandria 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 JMD 1,598

$13.76 JMD 2,173

-26.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,975

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

-17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 JMD 1,262

$8.41 JMD 1,328

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$5.27 JMD 833

$5.18 JMD 818

1.74%

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

$0.93 JMD 147

$1.15 JMD 182

-19.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JMD 96.6

$0.71 JMD 112

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 345

$2.24 JMD 355

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 345

$3.13 JMD 494

-30.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 JMD 502

$4.21 JMD 665

-24.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 575

$3.77 JMD 596

-3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 JMD 163

$1.55 JMD 245

-33.55%

Eggs

$3.44 JMD 544

$3.48 JMD 549

-1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 JMD 1,784

$11.33 JMD 1,789

-0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 982

$6.32 JMD 998

-1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 JMD 1,499

$10.26 JMD 1,621

-7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 JMD 929

$6.15 JMD 972

-4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.94 JMD 622

$3.80 JMD 601

3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 476

$7.26 JMD 1,146

-58.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 JMD 477

$2.95 JMD 467

2.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 JMD 509

$3.33 JMD 526

-3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 JMD 406

$2.64 JMD 416

-2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 JMD 245

$3.02 JMD 478

-48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 JMD 197

$1.45 JMD 229

-13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 JMD 1,499

$9.67 JMD 1,527

-1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,811

$11.15 JMD 1,761

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 454

$2.95 JMD 465

-2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 JMD 342

$3.97 JMD 627

-45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 JMD 355

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 JMD 7,917

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

$1.24 JMD 196

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 494

$3.17 JMD 501

-1.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 JMD 1,017

$6.22 JMD 982

3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 JMD 200

$1.46 JMD 231

-13.70%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

1.11%

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

$32.7K JMD 5.2M

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

-1.50%

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

$160 JMD 25.2K

$170 JMD 26.8K

-5.99%

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

$28.89 JMD 4,564

$29.37 JMD 4,641

-1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 JMD 8,346

$53.4 JMD 8,434

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 JMD 9,273

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 JMD 2,129

$13.09 JMD 2,068

2.90%

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

$281 JMD 44.4K

$365 JMD 57.7K

-23.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,157 JMD 498.8K

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

-61.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.28 JMD 3,677

$23.63 JMD 3,734

-1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.19 JMD 4,928

$30.87 JMD 4,877

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 JMD 12.2K

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 JMD 15.2K

$101 JMD 16.0K

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 JMD 49.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 JMD 105.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 JMD 95.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,655 JMD 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,857 JMD 925.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 JMD 202.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

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

Last update for Portmore: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Portmore

$337 27%

Alexandria

$383 38.1% 13.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portmore

$241 19.3%

Alexandria

$253 25.1% 4.6% $11

Accommodation & Living

Portmore

$218 17.4%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Portmore

$190 15.2%

Alexandria

$222 22.1% 17.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Portmore

$102 8.2%

Alexandria

$105 10.4% 2.2% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Portmore

$86 6.9%

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6% 69.4% $59

Getting Around

Portmore

$76 6.1%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7% 77.4% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63 in Portmore vs $76 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $383 per month, with Portmore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Portmore

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

Same time as Portmore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

1,927

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Portmore Alexandria 63 km

From you

Portmore
Alexandria

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

Portmore vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,250 in Portmore and $1,006 in Alexandria, so Alexandria is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,875 in Portmore and $1,509 in Alexandria 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.

Childcare runs $281 in Portmore versus $365 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Portmore – a meal for two runs $63 versus $76 in Alexandria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Alexandria gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.