Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, Jamaica and Montego Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,006 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montego Bay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index

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Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Montego 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 Montego Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Alexandria versus $1,169 in Montego Bay.

Alexandria $1,006
Montego Bay $1,169

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Alexandria versus $2,160 in Montego Bay.

Alexandria $1,667
Montego Bay $2,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Alexandria versus $3,152 in Montego Bay.

Alexandria $2,327
Montego Bay $3,152

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 14% less than in Montego Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 26% lower, Montego Bay 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 JMD 2,173

$11.11 JMD 1,755

23.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 JMD 1,328

$8.33 JMD 1,316

0.96%

Cappuccino

$5.18 JMD 818

$5.38 JMD 850

-3.72%

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

$1.15 JMD 182

$0.86 JMD 136

33.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$0.74 JMD 117

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 355

$2.23 JMD 352

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 JMD 494

$3.21 JMD 507

-2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 665

$3.25 JMD 514

29.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 JMD 596

$2.64 JMD 418

42.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 245

$1.38 JMD 218

12.32%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 549

$3.50 JMD 553

-0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,789

$11.40 JMD 1,801

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 JMD 998

$6.35 JMD 1,004

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 JMD 1,621

$8.88 JMD 1,403

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 972

$4.28 JMD 676

43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 JMD 601

$2.56 JMD 404

48.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.26 JMD 1,146

$7.18 JMD 1,134

1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 467

$2.56 JMD 405

15.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 JMD 526

$2.50 JMD 395

33.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$2.61 JMD 412

1.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 478

$2.50 JMD 395

20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$0.80 JMD 127

81.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 JMD 1,527

$9.50 JMD 1,501

1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 JMD 1,761

$11.47 JMD 1,812

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 465

$2.89 JMD 457

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 JMD 627

$3.93 JMD 621

1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

$0.91 JMD 144

36.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JMD 982

$6.33 JMD 1,000

-1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.39 JMD 220

5.04%

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

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

-0.10%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

0.55%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$167 JMD 26.3K

1.92%

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

$29.37 JMD 4,641

$22.32 JMD 3,526

31.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,434

$47.00 JMD 7,426

13.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 JMD 6,892

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 JMD 2,068

$8.63 JMD 1,363

51.68%

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

$8,368 JMD 1.3M

-1.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.63 JMD 3,734

$23.16 JMD 3,659

2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.87 JMD 4,877

$31.56 JMD 4,986

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

11.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 16.0K

$103 JMD 16.2K

-1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 JMD 34.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 JMD 93.2K

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 Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$383 38.1%

Montego Bay

$327 28% 14.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$253 25.1%

Montego Bay

$236 20.2% 6.6% $17

Eating Out

Alexandria

$222 22.1%

Montego Bay

$202 17.3% 8.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$105 10.4%

Montego Bay

$102 8.7% 2.7% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6%

Montego Bay

$61 5.2% 133% $35

Getting Around

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7%

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8% 20.2% $3.5

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

- * 0%

Montego Bay

$220 18.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76 in Alexandria vs $76 in Montego Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $327, with Montego Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,927

110,115

💱 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 Montego Bay 63 km

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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 Montego Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,006 in Alexandria and $1,169 in Montego Bay, so Alexandria is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,509 in Alexandria and $1,753 in Montego 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 $365 in Montego 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 $1,169 in Montego Bay – Alexandria is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Alexandria gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.