Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, Jamaica and Buff Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Buff Bay: $970 a month against $1,006 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Buff Bay
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Buff Bay Living Index

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Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Buff Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Buff Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Alexandria versus $970 in Buff Bay.

Alexandria $1,006
Buff Bay $970

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Alexandria versus $1,614 in Buff Bay.

Alexandria $1,667
Buff Bay $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Alexandria versus $2,259 in Buff Bay.

Alexandria $2,327
Buff Bay $2,259

Living in Alexandria is roughly 4% more expensive than in Buff Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 26% lower, Buff Bay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 JMD 2,173

$10.80 JMD 1,706

27.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

-0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 JMD 1,328

$4.94 JMD 780

70.24%

Cappuccino

$5.18 JMD 818

$5.20 JMD 822

-0.38%

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

$1.15 JMD 182

$0.75 JMD 118

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$0.61 JMD 96.1

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 355

$1.86 JMD 294

20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 JMD 494

$3.07 JMD 485

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 665

$4.15 JMD 656

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 JMD 596

$3.68 JMD 581

2.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 245

$1.64 JMD 259

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 549

$3.52 JMD 555

-1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,789

$11.26 JMD 1,779

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 JMD 998

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 JMD 1,621

$10.25 JMD 1,620

0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 972

$5.94 JMD 938

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 JMD 601

$3.97 JMD 627

-4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.26 JMD 1,146

$7.56 JMD 1,194

-3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 467

$3.08 JMD 487

-4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 JMD 526

$3.22 JMD 509

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$2.68 JMD 423

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 478

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 JMD 1,527

$9.65 JMD 1,524

0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 JMD 1,761

$11.17 JMD 1,764

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 465

$2.91 JMD 460

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 JMD 627

$4.05 JMD 640

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.25 JMD 197

-0.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$3.13 JMD 494

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JMD 982

$6.21 JMD 980

0.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.40 JMD 221

4.29%

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

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

-1.25%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

1.21%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$169 JMD 26.7K

0.57%

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

$29.37 JMD 4,641

$29.75 JMD 4,700

-1.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,434

$52.2 JMD 8,246

2.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 JMD 2,068

$13.39 JMD 2,116

-2.24%

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

$362 JMD 57.2K

0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

$8,327 JMD 1.3M

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.63 JMD 3,734

$24.09 JMD 3,805

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.87 JMD 4,877

$31.87 JMD 5,036

-3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

$77.2 JMD 12.2K

-0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 16.0K

$104 JMD 16.5K

-2.73%

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 Alexandria: October 25, 2026

Last update for Buff Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$383 38.1%

Buff Bay

$384 39.6% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$253 25.1%

Buff Bay

$251 25.9% 0.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Alexandria

$222 22.1%

Buff Bay

$185 19% 17% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$105 10.4%

Buff Bay

$107 11% 2.2% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6%

Buff Bay

$27 * 2.8% 2.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7%

Buff Bay

$17 * 1.7% 1.2% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76 in Alexandria vs $77 in Buff Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $384 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🇯🇲 Buff Bay

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,927

2,757

💱 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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Alexandria Buff Bay 74 km

From you

Alexandria
Buff Bay

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

Alexandria vs Buff Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,006 in Alexandria and $970 in Buff Bay, so Buff Bay is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,509 in Alexandria and $1,455 in Buff Bay 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 $365 in Alexandria versus $362 in Buff Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,006 per month in Alexandria versus $970 in Buff Bay – Buff Bay is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Buff Bay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.