Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, Jamaica and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,006 a month against $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Cruz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Santa Cruz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Alexandria versus $1,285 in Santa Cruz.

Alexandria $1,006
Santa Cruz $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Alexandria versus $1,988 in Santa Cruz.

Alexandria $1,667
Santa Cruz $1,988

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Alexandria versus $2,690 in Santa Cruz.

Alexandria $2,327
Santa Cruz $2,690

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 22% less than in Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 26% lower, Santa Cruz 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 JMD 2,169

$7.37 JMD 1,163

86.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 JMD 1,326

$6.45 JMD 1,016

30.39%

Cappuccino

$5.18 JMD 816

$5.34 JMD 842

-3.00%

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

$1.15 JMD 182

$1.16 JMD 182

-0.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$0.75 JMD 119

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 354

$2.26 JMD 357

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 JMD 493

$3.08 JMD 485

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 664

$4.04 JMD 638

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 JMD 595

$2.58 JMD 406

46.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 245

$1.57 JMD 248

-1.27%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 548

$3.47 JMD 548

0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,786

$11.33 JMD 1,787

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 JMD 997

$6.40 JMD 1,010

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 JMD 1,618

$10.41 JMD 1,641

-1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 970

$5.97 JMD 941

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 JMD 600

$3.83 JMD 604

-0.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.26 JMD 1,144

$7.43 JMD 1,171

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 466

$3.01 JMD 474

-1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 JMD 525

$3.32 JMD 523

0.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 477

$3.01 JMD 475

0.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.45 JMD 229

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 JMD 1,524

$9.47 JMD 1,494

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 JMD 1,758

$11.53 JMD 1,818

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 464

$2.89 JMD 456

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 JMD 626

$4.01 JMD 632

-1.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.27 JMD 201

-2.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 500

$3.12 JMD 492

1.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JMD 980

$6.12 JMD 966

1.63%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

-2.23%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

1.87%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$166 JMD 26.2K

2.24%

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

$29.37 JMD 4,632

$29.57 JMD 4,664

-0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,418

$51.8 JMD 8,165

3.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,055

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 JMD 2,064

$13.44 JMD 2,119

-2.60%

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

$365 JMD 57.5K

$359 JMD 56.6K

1.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.63 JMD 3,727

$23.66 JMD 3,731

-0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.87 JMD 4,867

$31.85 JMD 5,022

-3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

-2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 16.0K

$101 JMD 15.9K

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 JMD 49.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.3K

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 Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$383 38.1%

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9% 3.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$253 25.1%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3% 2% $5.1

Eating Out

Alexandria

$222 22.1%

Santa Cruz

$168 13% 24.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$105 10.4%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6%

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1% 149% $39

Getting Around

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7%

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3% 1.2% $0.2

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

- * 0%

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76 in Alexandria vs $64 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $371 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,927

8,217

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria Santa Cruz 46 km

From you

Alexandria
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria and Santa Cruz differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,006 vs $1,285 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,509 in Alexandria and $1,928 in Santa Cruz 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 $359 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz – a meal for two runs $64 versus $76 in Alexandria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.