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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Portmore versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,094 in Portmore versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,944 in Portmore versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Portmore costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portmore is 9% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.22 JMD 1,602

$11.92 MX$205

-14.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 JMD 9,744

$51.6 MX$886

20.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 JMD 1,408

$11.41 MX$196

-21.30%

Cappuccino

$5.19 JMD 814

$3.99 MX$68.6

30.08%

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

$0.92 JMD 144

$1.66 MX$28.48

-44.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 JMD 102

$1.33 MX$22.77

-51.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 341

$3.47 MX$59.6

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 341

$5.90 MX$101

-63.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 JMD 486

$1.88 MX$32.21

64.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 JMD 556

$3.25 MX$55.9

9.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 JMD 156

$2.16 MX$37.10

-53.70%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 545

$2.90 MX$49.72

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 JMD 1,780

$12.86 MX$221

-11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 JMD 1,012

$10.05 MX$173

-35.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 JMD 1,465

$15.86 MX$272

-41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 948

$3.29 MX$56.6

83.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.94 JMD 618

$2.01 MX$34.44

96.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 460

$2.20 MX$37.76

33.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 470

$2.36 MX$40.44

27.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 498

$2.05 MX$35.27

55.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 JMD 407

$1.90 MX$32.64

36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 JMD 247

$1.61 MX$27.55

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.40 MX$23.98

-11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 JMD 1,451

$5.46 MX$93.8

69.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,797

$17.65 MX$303

-35.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 JMD 459

$2.06 MX$35.28

42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 JMD 338

$4.68 MX$80.4

-53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 JMD 368

$0.34 MX$5.81

591.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 JMD 8,042

$20.81 MX$357

146.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 JMD 156

$2.10 MX$35.99

-52.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 506

$0.56 MX$9.60

476.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 JMD 973

$5.81 MX$99.8

6.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 JMD 199

$1.61 MX$27.56

-21.12%

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

$44.9K JMD 7.0M

$22.8K MX$392.1K

96.77%

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

$33.4K JMD 5.2M

$26.8K MX$459.2K

24.98%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$65.2 MX$1,119

147.44%

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

$29.50 JMD 4,623

$30.09 MX$517

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 JMD 8,401

$37.18 MX$638

44.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 JMD 9,343

$59.8 MX$1,026

-0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 JMD 2,122

$7.04 MX$121

92.33%

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

$284 JMD 44.6K

$465 MX$7,976

-38.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,108 JMD 487.1K

$13.3K MX$227.8K

-76.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.31 JMD 3,654

$75.9 MX$1,303

-69.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 JMD 5,064

$56.0 MX$960

-42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 JMD 12.2K

$112 MX$1,920

-30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 JMD 14.8K

$121 MX$2,068

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.1K

$1,103 MX$18.9K

-71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 JMD 34.3K

$721 MX$12.4K

-69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 JMD 103.2K

$2,530 MX$43.4K

-73.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 JMD 95.1K

$1,293 MX$22.2K

-53.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,565 JMD 1.2M

$3,991 MX$68.5K

89.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,760 JMD 902.8K

$2,090 MX$35.9K

175.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,294 JMD 202.8K

$1,037 MX$17.8K

24.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.3

-16.37%

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

Last update for Portmore: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Portmore and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Portmore vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $345, with Portmore 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

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

Portmore and Mexico City differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,243 vs $1,660 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Portmore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $313 in Portmore versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Portmore runs roughly 147% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $284 in Portmore versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,243 in Portmore versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.