Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncans and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncans: $1,011 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Duncans
Learn more

Duncans Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
Learn more

Kingston Living Index

Jump to prices

Duncans

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,011

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,011 per month in Duncans vs $1,677 in Kingston, rent included.

Duncans $1,011
Kingston $1,677

A couple spends around $1,673 per month in Duncans vs $2,829 in Kingston, rent included.

Duncans $1,673
Kingston $2,829

A family of three spends $2,336 per month in Duncans vs $3,980 in Kingston, rent included.

Duncans $2,336
Kingston $3,980

Duncans is about 40% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Duncans sits 26% below the global median, while Kingston is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 JMD 2,144

$13.80 JMD 2,175

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,284

$8.31 JMD 1,310

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$5.44 JMD 858

$5.36 JMD 846

1.49%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.19 JMD 188

-4.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

$0.74 JMD 116

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 355

$2.26 JMD 357

-0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.23 JMD 510

-0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.15 JMD 655

$4.23 JMD 667

-1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 JMD 588

$3.86 JMD 609

-3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 JMD 249

$1.64 JMD 258

-3.66%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 565

$3.59 JMD 565

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 JMD 1,813

$11.55 JMD 1,821

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 979

$6.23 JMD 983

-0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 JMD 1,631

$10.22 JMD 1,612

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.01 JMD 947

$6.07 JMD 957

-0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.97 JMD 625

$3.87 JMD 610

2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.54 JMD 1,190

$7.25 JMD 1,144

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 JMD 476

$3.10 JMD 488

-2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 523

$3.18 JMD 501

4.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 411

$2.68 JMD 422

-2.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$3.10 JMD 488

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,494

$9.33 JMD 1,471

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 JMD 1,775

$11.26 JMD 1,775

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$2.77 JMD 438

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$4.04 JMD 637

-1.98%

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)

$1.27 JMD 200

$1.28 JMD 202

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$3.22 JMD 508

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 983

$6.37 JMD 1,004

-2.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.42 JMD 223

2.11%

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

$44.1K JMD 7.0M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

0.30%

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-1.87%

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

$170 JMD 26.7K

1.04%

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

$29.64 JMD 4,674

$29.16 JMD 4,599

1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,166

$53.8 JMD 8,480

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,723

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,801

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 JMD 2,115

$13.46 JMD 2,123

-0.37%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$363 JMD 57.3K

-2.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,307 JMD 1.3M

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

-0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.91 JMD 3,771

$23.39 JMD 3,688

2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.38 JMD 4,949

$31.37 JMD 4,946

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$102 JMD 16.1K

1.41%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 JMD 118.3K

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 Duncans: 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

Duncans

$384 38%

Kingston

$385 23% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duncans

$253 25%

Kingston

$252 15.1% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Duncans

$224 22.1%

Kingston

$225 13.4% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Duncans

$107 10.6%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 1.4% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Duncans

$27 * 2.7%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 230% $62

Getting Around

Duncans

$17 * 1.7%

Kingston

$58 3.5% 235% $41

Accommodation & Living

Duncans

- * 0%

Kingston

$562 33.5%

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 $76 in Duncans versus $75 in Kingston. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Duncans vs $385 in Kingston – so Duncans wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Duncans

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

Same time as Duncans

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,153

660,000 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duncans Kingston 96 km

From you

Duncans
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

Duncans vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,517 per month in Duncans and $2,515 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,011 in Duncans and $1,677 in Kingston. That makes Duncans about 40% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $355 per month in Duncans and $363 in Kingston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Duncans, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Kingston at $1,677. In Duncans it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.