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: $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Portmore versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,572 in Portmore versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Portmore costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 JMD 754

$12.98 MX$223

-63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,843

$52.6 MX$903

18.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,413

$9.43 MX$162

-4.67%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 691

$3.57 MX$61.3

22.97%

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

$0.63 JMD 99.8

$1.61 MX$27.55

-60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 JMD 85.8

$1.15 MX$19.81

-52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 JMD 303

$3.15 MX$54.0

-38.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 JMD 348

$4.86 MX$83.4

-54.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 JMD 481

$1.70 MX$29.17

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 JMD 566

$2.64 MX$45.23

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 JMD 159

$1.90 MX$32.67

-46.84%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 550

$2.54 MX$43.62

37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 JMD 1,748

$10.08 MX$173

10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 JMD 984

$8.29 MX$142

-24.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,177

$11.57 MX$199

-35.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 JMD 922

$3.03 MX$52.0

93.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 473

$1.71 MX$29.35

76.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 461

$2.05 MX$35.16

42.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$2.06 MX$35.36

43.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 321

$2.06 MX$35.43

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$2.17 MX$37.25

-10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 250

$1.40 MX$24.08

13.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.12 MX$19.26

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 JMD 1,409

$4.29 MX$73.7

108.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,814

$15.41 MX$265

-25.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 447

$1.67 MX$28.74

70.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 334

$3.69 MX$63.3

-42.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 JMD 240

$0.38 MX$6.55

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 JMD 9,958

$19.06 MX$327

232.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

$1.38 MX$23.70

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 502

$0.28 MX$4.74

1039.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 993

$5.42 MX$92.9

16.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 JMD 171

$1.28 MX$21.98

-15.62%

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

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

124.41%

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

41.04%

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

$155 JMD 24.4K

$41.02 MX$704

278.04%

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

$21.91 JMD 3,446

$26.92 MX$462

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 JMD 7,897

$29.69 MX$510

69.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,104

$6.18 MX$106

116.50%

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

$226 JMD 35.5K

$427 MX$7,331

-47.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-76.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 JMD 4,123

$56.8 MX$975

-53.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 JMD 4,090

$44.83 MX$769

-41.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$105 MX$1,794

-30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

$106 MX$1,819

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 JMD 49.9K

$995 MX$17.1K

-68.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.3K

$621 MX$10.7K

-64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 JMD 104.2K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-68.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 JMD 93.9K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-52.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

$3,903 MX$67.0K

99.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

181.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

16.89%

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 Portmore: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $317 in Portmore and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Portmore vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,086 vs $1,447 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Portmore pays 17% more on average, 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: $317 in Portmore versus $995 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 232% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Portmore versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,447 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.