Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cave Valley and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Cave Valley: $1,003 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cave Valley, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Cave Valley
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,003
/mo nomad
Kingston
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Cave Valley versus $1,677 in Kingston.

  • Cave Valley $1,003
  • Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Cave Valley versus $2,829 in Kingston.

  • Cave Valley $1,661
  • Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Cave Valley versus $3,980 in Kingston.

  • Cave Valley $2,318
  • Kingston $3,980

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Cave Valley is 26% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.51 JMD 2,130
$13.80 JMD 2,175
-2.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.2 JMD 11.7K
$75.1 JMD 11.8K
-1.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 JMD 1,328
$8.31 JMD 1,310
1.32%
Cappuccino
$5.34 JMD 843
$5.36 JMD 846
-0.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 JMD 182
$1.19 JMD 188
-3.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 JMD 117
$0.74 JMD 116
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 JMD 341
$2.26 JMD 357
-3.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 JMD 482
$3.23 JMD 510
-5.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.16 JMD 656
$4.23 JMD 667
-1.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 JMD 580
$3.86 JMD 609
-4.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 JMD 250
$1.64 JMD 258
-3.05%
Eggs
$3.63 JMD 572
$3.59 JMD 565
1.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 JMD 1,821
$11.55 JMD 1,821
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.21 JMD 979
$6.23 JMD 983
-0.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.36 JMD 1,634
$10.22 JMD 1,612
1.37%
Apples (1kg)
$6.15 JMD 969
$6.07 JMD 957
1.32%
Banana (1kg)
$3.93 JMD 620
$3.87 JMD 610
1.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.51 JMD 1,185
$7.25 JMD 1,144
3.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 JMD 470
$3.10 JMD 488
-3.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.30 JMD 520
$3.18 JMD 501
3.77%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 JMD 430
$2.68 JMD 422
1.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.01 JMD 475
$3.10 JMD 488
-2.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 JMD 237
$1.43 JMD 226
4.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.25 JMD 1,458
$9.33 JMD 1,471
-0.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.53 JMD 1,818
$11.26 JMD 1,775
2.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 JMD 438
$2.77 JMD 438
0.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 JMD 625
$4.04 JMD 637
-1.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.61 JMD 96.3
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$38.10 JMD 6,008
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 JMD 201
$1.28 JMD 202
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.20 JMD 504
$3.22 JMD 508
-0.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.41 JMD 1,011
$6.37 JMD 1,004
0.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 JMD 221
$1.42 JMD 223
-1.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.3K JMD 6.8M
$44.0K JMD 6.9M
-1.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K JMD 5.1M
$32.8K JMD 5.2M
-1.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 JMD 26.1K
$170 JMD 26.7K
-2.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.39 JMD 4,635
$29.16 JMD 4,599
0.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 JMD 8,201
$53.8 JMD 8,480
-3.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$61.7 JMD 9,723
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.76 JMD 2,801
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.12 JMD 2,070
$13.46 JMD 2,123
-2.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$368 JMD 58.0K
$363 JMD 57.3K
1.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,266 JMD 1.3M
$8,388 JMD 1.3M
-1.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.60 JMD 3,722
$23.39 JMD 3,688
0.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.02 JMD 4,891
$31.37 JMD 4,946
-1.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.3 JMD 12.0K
$77.3 JMD 12.2K
-1.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 JMD 16.3K
$102 JMD 16.1K
1.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$958 JMD 151.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$562 JMD 88.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,100 JMD 331.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,422 JMD 224.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,849 JMD 449.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,072 JMD 326.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cave Valley
Kingston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$750 JMD 118.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
9.45
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cave Valley: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Cave Valley
$386
Kingston
$385 0.1% $0.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cave Valley
$247
Kingston
$252 2.3% $5.6
Eating Out
Cave Valley
$222
Kingston
$225 1.4% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Cave Valley
$105
Kingston
$105 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
Cave Valley
$26 *
Kingston
$89 238% $62
Getting Around
Cave Valley
$17 *
Kingston
$58 236% $41
Accommodation & Living
Cave Valley
- *
Kingston
$562

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $74 in Cave Valley vs $75 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $385, with Kingston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Cave Valley
🇯🇲 Kingston
🕒 Local time
09:04 9:04 AM
09:04 9:04 AM
Same time as Cave Valley
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
660,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cave Valley Kingston 160 km
From you
  • Cave Valley
  • 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
Cave Valley vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cave Valley and in Kingston?
Cave Valley and Kingston differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $1,677 including rent). Cave Valley is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Cave Valley compared to Kingston?
You’d need roughly $1,505 in Cave Valley and $2,515 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cave Valley and Kingston?
Childcare runs $368 in Cave Valley versus $363 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cave Valley or Kingston?
All in, you’ll spend $1,003 per month in Cave Valley versus $1,677 in Kingston – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $2,000 go in Cave Valley compared to Kingston?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Cave Valley gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Cave Valley and Kingston?
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.

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