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: $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Portmore versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Portmore versus $3,278 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 17% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 JMD 757

$12.98 MX$227

-62.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 JMD 9,885

$53.1 MX$929

18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 JMD 1,380

$9.72 MX$170

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 JMD 665

$3.75 MX$65.6

12.80%

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

$0.69 JMD 108

$1.57 MX$27.46

-56.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 JMD 78.8

$1.13 MX$19.76

-55.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 JMD 291

$3.18 MX$55.7

-41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 JMD 350

$4.66 MX$81.6

-52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 JMD 479

$1.62 MX$28.37

88.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 JMD 571

$2.71 MX$47.36

33.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 JMD 155

$1.88 MX$32.89

-47.34%

Eggs

$3.53 JMD 554

$2.51 MX$43.90

40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 JMD 1,757

$10.08 MX$176

10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,011

$8.29 MX$145

-22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 JMD 1,178

$11.94 MX$209

-37.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 941

$2.86 MX$50.1

109.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 488

$1.75 MX$30.62

77.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 464

$2.08 MX$36.48

41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 481

$1.97 MX$34.46

55.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$2.16 MX$37.79

-6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 313

$2.18 MX$38.16

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 250

$1.39 MX$24.34

14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.12 MX$19.69

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 JMD 1,368

$4.20 MX$73.5

107.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 JMD 1,804

$14.25 MX$249

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 446

$1.76 MX$30.85

61.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 354

$3.68 MX$64.5

-38.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 JMD 252

$0.39 MX$6.74

310.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 JMD 9,884

$18.66 MX$327

237.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 143

$1.39 MX$24.26

-34.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 510

$0.30 MX$5.32

983.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 JMD 988

$5.42 MX$94.9

16.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 JMD 170

$1.35 MX$23.63

-20.00%

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

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

126.23%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

45.90%

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

$156 JMD 24.5K

$40.82 MX$714

281.48%

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

$22.40 JMD 3,518

$27.50 MX$481

-18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,129

$30.38 MX$532

70.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 JMD 2,068

$6.27 MX$110

110.05%

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

$224 JMD 35.2K

$436 MX$7,632

-48.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,479 JMD 389.4K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-76.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.93 JMD 4,073

$56.8 MX$993

-54.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.32 JMD 3,977

$44.79 MX$784

-43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 JMD 11.0K

$103 MX$1,799

-32.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$108 MX$1,888

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 JMD 49.4K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-68.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 JMD 33.8K

$620 MX$10.9K

-65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 JMD 101.5K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 JMD 93.8K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-51.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,724 JMD 1.2M

$3,865 MX$67.6K

99.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,745 JMD 902.3K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

146.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,267 JMD 199.0K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

18.72%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $314 in Portmore and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 19% 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 $322 vs $286 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 ($1,112 vs $1,484 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Portmore pays 19% 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: $314 in Portmore versus $1,000 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 237% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Portmore versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,484 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.