Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buff Bay and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Buff Bay: $964 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Buff Bay
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Buff Bay Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Buff Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$964

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $964 per month in Buff Bay vs $1,668 in Kingston, rent included.

Buff Bay $964
Kingston $1,668

A couple spends around $1,603 per month in Buff Bay vs $2,812 in Kingston, rent included.

Buff Bay $1,603
Kingston $2,812

A family of three spends $2,242 per month in Buff Bay vs $3,955 in Kingston, rent included.

Buff Bay $2,242
Kingston $3,955

Buff Bay is about 42% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Buff Bay sits 29% below the global median, while Kingston is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 JMD 1,713

$13.29 JMD 2,099

-18.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 JMD 11.9K

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 JMD 776

$8.14 JMD 1,285

-39.68%

Cappuccino

$5.18 JMD 819

$5.45 JMD 861

-4.95%

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

$0.77 JMD 122

$1.14 JMD 180

-32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 JMD 97.5

$0.72 JMD 115

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 JMD 306

$2.16 JMD 341

-10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.11 JMD 491

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.16 JMD 657

$4.19 JMD 661

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 575

$3.78 JMD 598

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.61 JMD 254

-2.48%

Eggs

$3.60 JMD 569

$3.48 JMD 550

3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 JMD 1,811

$11.40 JMD 1,801

0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 963

$6.35 JMD 1,003

-4.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 JMD 1,648

$10.40 JMD 1,644

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 957

$6.05 JMD 957

0.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 JMD 621

$3.82 JMD 604

2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.46 JMD 1,179

$7.25 JMD 1,146

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 JMD 469

$3.06 JMD 484

-2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 525

$3.21 JMD 506

3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 JMD 410

$2.62 JMD 415

-1.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 476

$3.13 JMD 494

-3.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 JMD 236

$1.44 JMD 228

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 JMD 1,495

$9.48 JMD 1,498

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 JMD 1,799

$11.36 JMD 1,795

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 456

$2.86 JMD 453

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 JMD 620

$3.88 JMD 613

1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JMD 119

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 JMD 5,888

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 JMD 191

$1.22 JMD 192

-0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 508

$3.20 JMD 505

0.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 JMD 963

$6.31 JMD 996

-3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.39 JMD 219

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

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

0.24%

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

$32.1K JMD 5.1M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-1.93%

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

$164 JMD 25.9K

$167 JMD 26.4K

-1.59%

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

$29.24 JMD 4,620

$29.86 JMD 4,717

-2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 JMD 8,369

$53.4 JMD 8,443

-0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 JMD 2,070

$13.15 JMD 2,078

-0.38%

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

$359 JMD 56.6K

$359 JMD 56.7K

-0.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,098 JMD 1.3M

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

-3.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.70 JMD 3,744

$23.75 JMD 3,752

-0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.12 JMD 4,916

$31.13 JMD 4,918

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.1K

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

-0.04%

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 Buff Bay: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Buff Bay

$384 39.8%

Kingston

$384 23% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buff Bay

$246 25.6%

Kingston

$250 15% 1.5% $3.8

Eating Out

Buff Bay

$185 19.2%

Kingston

$221 13.2% 19.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Buff Bay

$105 10.9%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 0.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Buff Bay

$26 * 2.7%

Kingston

$88 5.3% 237% $62

Getting Around

Buff Bay

$17 * 1.8%

Kingston

$57 3.5% 233% $40

Accommodation & Living

Buff Bay

- * 0%

Kingston

$563 33.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Buff Bay versus $74.0 in Kingston. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Buff Bay vs $384 in Kingston – so Buff Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Buff Bay

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Buff Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,757

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buff Bay Kingston 32 km

From you

Buff Bay
Kingston

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $964 in Buff Bay, $1,668 in Kingston – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,446 per month in Buff Bay and $2,502 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $964 in Buff Bay and $1,668 in Kingston. That's a gap of about 73%.

Kindergarten costs $359 per month in Buff Bay and $359 in Kingston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buff Bay, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Kingston at $1,668. In Buff Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Buff Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Buff Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.