Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,435 in Chalcis versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,207 in Chalcis versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in Chalcis versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Chalcis costs roughly 15% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chalcis 4% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.84 €10.18

$15.95 JMD 2,513

-25.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.78 €41.08

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 €8.10

$8.81 JMD 1,388

6.92%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.23

$5.22 JMD 823

-27.97%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$1.19 JMD 188

98.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.53

$0.69 JMD 109

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.96

$2.19 JMD 345

57.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.08 JMD 486

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$4.06 JMD 639

-61.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$3.74 JMD 589

-61.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.66 JMD 261

36.14%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.87

$3.61 JMD 570

24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 €10.00

$11.58 JMD 1,826

0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 €8.55

$6.19 JMD 975

60.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 €12.76

$10.12 JMD 1,595

46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$6.12 JMD 964

-66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.99 JMD 629

-48.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-75.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$3.11 JMD 491

-33.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €0.99

$3.23 JMD 510

-64.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.64 JMD 416

-48.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 €0.81

$3.01 JMD 474

-68.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.46 JMD 231

-41.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 €4.39

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-47.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.92 €5.95

$11.32 JMD 1,785

-38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.78 JMD 439

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.00

$3.96 JMD 625

-11.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.81 JMD 128

69.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.23 JMD 193

273.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.02

$3.14 JMD 496

-62.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 €12.24

$6.15 JMD 970

131.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.36 JMD 215

56.62%

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

$28.9K €24.9K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-33.79%

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

$24.5K €21.1K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-24.39%

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

$168 €144

$172 JMD 27.1K

-2.27%

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

$24.76 €21.28

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-16.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 €25.39

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 €59.8

$62.6 JMD 9,862

11.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 €8.09

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-29.51%

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

$289 €249

$367 JMD 57.8K

-21.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,671 €4,016

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

-43.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €62.8

$23.88 JMD 3,764

205.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 €31.27

$31.86 JMD 5,020

14.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 €68.1

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €95.7

$102 JMD 16.1K

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €535

$972 JMD 153.2K

-35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 €429

$563 JMD 88.7K

-11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 €937

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

-48.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$898 €772

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

-37.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 €2,165

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

-13.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 €1,792

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

1.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 €930

$757 JMD 119.3K

42.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

9.45

-53.86%

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

Last update for Chalcis: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Chalcis and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Chalcis vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $384 per month, with Chalcis cheaper across the board.

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

Chalcis vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalcis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Chalcis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Chalcis versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,435 per month in Chalcis versus $1,684 in Kingston – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,435 in Chalcis versus $1,684 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chalcis but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Chalcis 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.

Safety-wise, Chalcis and Kingston are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chalcis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.