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: $1,533 in Chalcis versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,251 in Chalcis versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,968 in Chalcis versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Chalcis is roughly 6% more expensive than Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chalcis 14% above, Kingston 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.34 €11.47

$7.61 JMD 1,192

75.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.36 €42.46

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-20.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 €8.01

$8.80 JMD 1,379

5.80%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.53

$4.36 JMD 682

-5.96%

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

$1.63 €1.41

$1.32 JMD 207

23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.52

$0.74 JMD 117

-17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €2.94

$2.57 JMD 403

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 €3.54

$3.20 JMD 501

28.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$4.36 JMD 684

-65.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.39

$3.66 JMD 573

-56.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.57 JMD 246

31.85%

Eggs

$4.22 €3.63

$3.47 JMD 543

21.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 €11.90

$11.19 JMD 1,754

23.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.30

$6.42 JMD 1,007

50.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 €11.51

$7.82 JMD 1,225

71.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$5.96 JMD 933

-66.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$3.13 JMD 491

-40.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$4.30 JMD 673

-74.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.96 JMD 464

-31.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.94

$2.03 JMD 317

-46.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.05

$2.01 JMD 315

-39.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$3.12 JMD 489

-68.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$1.45 JMD 227

-68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 €4.16

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-45.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 €5.55

$11.29 JMD 1,769

-42.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.90 JMD 454

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.10

$3.20 JMD 502

-23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.20

$0.89 JMD 140

57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.47 €39.98

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-4.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.01

$1.12 JMD 176

316.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$3.15 JMD 494

-66.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.86 €11.92

$6.19 JMD 971

123.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.28 JMD 201

61.72%

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

$34.7K €29.8K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-19.74%

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

$29.1K €25.0K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-13.85%

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

$292 €251

$163 JMD 25.5K

79.47%

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

$23.45 €20.17

$22.49 JMD 3,523

4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.73 €27.30

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 €58.9

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 €8.53

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-23.30%

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

$295 €254

$222 JMD 34.8K

32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,600 €4,817

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

128.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.2

$25.73 JMD 4,032

325.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 €33.40

$25.24 JMD 3,955

53.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.0

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 €83.2

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 €443

$880 JMD 137.9K

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 €322

$451 JMD 70.7K

-16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 €693

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

-60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €507

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

-51.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,599 €2,235

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

-9.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 €1,783

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

-5.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 €928

$732 JMD 114.7K

47.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

9.15

-52.57%

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

Last update for Chalcis: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Chalcis and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Chalcis vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $353 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

Kingston is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chalcis pays 47% more on average, 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: $515 in Chalcis versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chalcis pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kingston – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,533 in Chalcis, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.