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: $1,102 in Portmore versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,849 in Portmore versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Portmore versus $3,245 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

$4.80 JMD 755

$13.14 MX$228

-63.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 JMD 9,810

$53.5 MX$927

16.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 JMD 1,365

$9.33 MX$162

-6.97%

Cappuccino

$4.41 JMD 693

$3.70 MX$64.1

19.19%

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

$0.63 JMD 98.7

$1.60 MX$27.80

-60.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 JMD 78.9

$1.12 MX$19.37

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 JMD 289

$3.14 MX$54.4

-41.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 JMD 354

$4.85 MX$84.0

-53.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.65 MX$28.65

87.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 JMD 558

$2.71 MX$47.02

31.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 JMD 160

$1.91 MX$33.07

-46.60%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 563

$2.59 MX$44.87

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 JMD 1,707

$9.81 MX$170

10.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 973

$8.43 MX$146

-26.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,175

$11.93 MX$207

-37.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 JMD 929

$2.95 MX$51.2

100.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 470

$1.74 MX$30.15

71.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 JMD 453

$2.04 MX$35.43

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 478

$2.06 MX$35.69

47.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 330

$2.15 MX$37.25

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 302

$2.26 MX$39.08

-15.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 JMD 239

$1.39 MX$24.01

9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 JMD 200

$1.12 MX$19.34

13.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 JMD 1,361

$4.22 MX$73.1

105.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 JMD 1,754

$17.51 MX$303

-36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 440

$1.71 MX$29.62

63.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 335

$3.63 MX$62.9

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 JMD 250

$0.35 MX$6.11

354.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 JMD 9,968

$19.32 MX$335

228.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 146

$1.38 MX$23.84

-32.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$0.28 MX$4.78

1050.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 JMD 1,011

$5.28 MX$91.4

21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.36 MX$23.53

-19.85%

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

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

$19.1K MX$331.0K

121.75%

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

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

$23.6K MX$409.0K

42.28%

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

$156 JMD 24.6K

$40.53 MX$702

286.01%

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

$21.70 JMD 3,411

$27.38 MX$474

-20.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 JMD 8,082

$30.38 MX$526

69.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 JMD 2,081

$6.19 MX$107

113.89%

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

$227 JMD 35.6K

$425 MX$7,365

-46.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

$10.7K MX$186.0K

-77.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.67 JMD 4,035

$58.3 MX$1,010

-55.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.00 JMD 4,087

$44.57 MX$772

-41.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

$103 MX$1,793

-31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$109 MX$1,884

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 JMD 48.8K

$1,014 MX$17.6K

-69.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 JMD 35.0K

$623 MX$10.8K

-64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 JMD 103.9K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-68.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 JMD 91.7K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-52.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

$3,792 MX$65.7K

98.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

$2,110 MX$36.6K

177.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

$1,052 MX$18.2K

24.74%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Portmore and $1,014 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $293 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $1,472 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: $310 in Portmore versus $1,014 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 228% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $227 in Portmore versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Portmore versus $1,472 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.