Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $998 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$998

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Kingston

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 Kingston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $998 in Alexandria versus $1,668 in Kingston.

Alexandria $998
Kingston $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Alexandria versus $2,812 in Kingston.

Alexandria $1,658
Kingston $2,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,317 in Alexandria versus $3,955 in Kingston.

Alexandria $2,317
Kingston $3,955

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 40% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alexandria is 26% below, Kingston is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 JMD 2,120

$13.29 JMD 2,099

0.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 JMD 1,298

$8.14 JMD 1,285

0.86%

Cappuccino

$5.37 JMD 849

$5.45 JMD 861

-1.47%

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

$1.16 JMD 183

$1.14 JMD 180

1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.72 JMD 115

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 JMD 351

$2.16 JMD 341

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

Milk (1 liter)

$4.20 JMD 664

$4.19 JMD 661

0.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 JMD 586

$3.78 JMD 598

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.61 JMD 254

-2.48%

Eggs

$3.63 JMD 573

$3.48 JMD 550

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 JMD 1,787

$11.40 JMD 1,801

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 976

$6.35 JMD 1,003

-2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 JMD 1,611

$10.40 JMD 1,644

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 JMD 938

$6.05 JMD 957

-1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 610

$3.82 JMD 604

1.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.13 JMD 1,127

$7.25 JMD 1,146

-1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 480

$3.06 JMD 484

-0.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 501

$3.21 JMD 506

-1.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$2.62 JMD 415

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 484

$3.13 JMD 494

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$1.44 JMD 228

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 JMD 1,519

$9.48 JMD 1,498

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 JMD 1,755

$11.36 JMD 1,795

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$2.86 JMD 453

-3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 JMD 642

$3.88 JMD 613

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JMD 119

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 JMD 5,888

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 JMD 183

$1.22 JMD 192

-4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$3.20 JMD 505

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 967

$6.31 JMD 996

-3.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.39 JMD 219

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

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

-2.10%

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-1.32%

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

$165 JMD 26.1K

$167 JMD 26.4K

-1.15%

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

$29.45 JMD 4,653

$29.86 JMD 4,717

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,382

$53.4 JMD 8,443

-0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

Cinema Ticket

$13.30 JMD 2,101

$13.15 JMD 2,078

1.14%

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

$364 JMD 57.5K

$359 JMD 56.7K

1.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 JMD 1.3M

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

-1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.82 JMD 3,764

$23.75 JMD 3,752

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 JMD 5,039

$31.13 JMD 4,918

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 JMD 12.0K

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

-1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$100 JMD 15.9K

1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 JMD 154.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 89.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 JMD 116.1K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$380 38.1%

Kingston

$384 23% 1% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$247 24.8%

Kingston

$250 15% 1.1% $2.7

Eating Out

Alexandria

$221 22.2%

Kingston

$221 13.2% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$105 10.5%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$27 * 2.7%

Kingston

$88 5.3% 232% $62

Getting Around

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7%

Kingston

$57 3.5% 238% $40

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

- * 0%

Kingston

$563 33.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $77.0 in Alexandria vs $74.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $384, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,927

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria and Kingston differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($998 vs $1,668 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,497 in Alexandria and $2,502 in Kingston 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 $364 in Alexandria versus $359 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $74.0 in Kingston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $998 in Alexandria versus $1,668 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.