Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncans and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncans: $1,011 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $47,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Duncans, Jamaica
New York, NY, United States
Duncans
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,011
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Duncans and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,011 per month in Duncans vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Duncans $1,011
  • New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $1,673 per month in Duncans vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Duncans $1,673
  • New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $2,336 per month in Duncans vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Duncans $2,336
  • New York, NY $9,509

Duncans is about 80% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Duncans sits 26% below the global median, while New York, NY is 263% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.60 JMD 2,144
$28.55 $28.55
-52.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.7 JMD 11.9K
$118 $118
-36.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 JMD 1,284
$15.04 $15.04
-45.88%
Cappuccino
$5.44 JMD 858
$6.53 $6.53
-16.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 JMD 180
$3.96 $3.96
-71.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 JMD 111
$3.01 $3.01
-76.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 JMD 355
$8.16 $8.16
-72.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 JMD 507
$9.84 $9.84
-67.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.15 JMD 655
$1.37 $1.37
202.92%
White Bread (500g)
$3.73 JMD 588
$4.97 $4.97
-24.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 JMD 249
$7.81 $7.81
-79.77%
Eggs
$3.58 JMD 565
$5.97 $5.97
-40.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.50 JMD 1,813
$18.91 $18.91
-39.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.21 JMD 979
$18.04 $18.04
-65.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.34 JMD 1,631
$19.05 $19.05
-45.72%
Apples (1kg)
$6.01 JMD 947
$6.76 $6.76
-11.09%
Banana (1kg)
$3.97 JMD 625
$2.27 $2.27
74.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.54 JMD 1,190
$6.83 $6.83
10.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.02 JMD 476
$7.09 $7.09
-57.40%
Potato (1kg)
$3.32 JMD 523
$4.22 $4.22
-21.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.61 JMD 411
$4.65 $4.65
-43.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.01 JMD 475
$2.87 $2.87
4.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 JMD 226
$2.60 $2.60
-45.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.48 JMD 1,494
$18.77 $18.77
-49.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.25 JMD 1,775
$20.13 $20.13
-44.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 JMD 439
$3.45 $3.45
-19.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 JMD 625
$4.02 $4.02
-1.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.91 $2.91
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$139 $139
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 JMD 200
$3.08 $3.08
-58.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.20 JMD 505
$2.12 $2.12
50.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.23 JMD 983
$41.96 $41.96
-85.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 JMD 228
$1.17 $1.17
23.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.1K JMD 7.0M
$34.5K $34.5K
27.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K JMD 5.1M
$25.9K $25.9K
24.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 JMD 27.0K
$219 $219
-21.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.64 JMD 4,674
$74.2 $74.2
-60.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.8 JMD 8,166
$70.2 $70.2
-26.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$112 $112
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$74.9 $74.9
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.41 JMD 2,115
$22.14 $22.14
-39.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$355 JMD 56.0K
$3,558 $3,558
-90.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,307 JMD 1.3M
$62.2K $62.2K
-86.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.91 JMD 3,771
$75.6 $75.6
-68.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.38 JMD 4,949
$51.2 $51.2
-38.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 JMD 12.4K
$123 $123
-36.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 JMD 16.3K
$140 $140
-26.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$4,499 $4,499
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,078 $3,078
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$9,447 $9,447
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$5,190 $5,190
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$18.1K $18.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,693 $6,693
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Duncans
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,220 $5,220
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
6.86
37.76%

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

Last update for Duncans: October 26, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Duncans
$384
New York, NY
$563 46.7% $179
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Duncans
$253
New York, NY
$364 44% $111
Eating Out
Duncans
$224
New York, NY
$440 96.9% $217
Clothing & Footwear
Duncans
$107
New York, NY
$175 64.3% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Duncans
$27 *
New York, NY
$156 482% $129
Getting Around
Duncans
$17 *
New York, NY
$164 851% $147
Accommodation & Living
Duncans
- *
New York, NY
$3.1K

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 $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $563 – making Duncans the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Duncans
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
11:44 11:44 AM
12:44 12:44 PM
1 h ahead of Duncans
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,153
8,804,190
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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Duncans New York, NY 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Duncans
  • New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duncans cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 389%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,517 per month in Duncans and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Duncans and in New York, NY?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,011 in Duncans and $4,941 in New York, NY. That’s a gap of about 389%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $355 per month in Duncans and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Duncans or in New York, NY?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Duncans, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Duncans it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Duncans or in New York, NY?
It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,011 in Duncans to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Duncans vs other spots: cost of living compared

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