Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Green Island: $1,009 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 Green Island
Learn more

Green Island Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
Learn more

Kingston Living Index

Jump to prices

Green Island

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,009 in Green Island versus $1,677 in Kingston.

Green Island $1,009
Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,670 in Green Island versus $2,829 in Kingston.

Green Island $1,670
Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,332 in Green Island versus $3,980 in Kingston.

Green Island $2,332
Kingston $3,980

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 JMD 2,159

$13.80 JMD 2,175

-0.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 JMD 12.0K

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 JMD 1,273

$8.31 JMD 1,310

-2.89%

Cappuccino

$5.33 JMD 840

$5.36 JMD 846

-0.56%

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

$1.20 JMD 190

$1.19 JMD 188

0.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.74 JMD 116

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 342

$2.26 JMD 357

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 482

$3.23 JMD 510

-5.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.10 JMD 646

$4.23 JMD 667

-3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 JMD 584

$3.86 JMD 609

-4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$1.64 JMD 258

-1.22%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 547

$3.59 JMD 565

-3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 JMD 1,806

$11.55 JMD 1,821

-0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 1,000

$6.23 JMD 983

1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,640

$10.22 JMD 1,612

1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 960

$6.07 JMD 957

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.92 JMD 618

$3.87 JMD 610

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.21 JMD 1,137

$7.25 JMD 1,144

-0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$3.10 JMD 488

0.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 500

$3.18 JMD 501

-0.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JMD 426

$2.68 JMD 422

0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.10 JMD 488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$1.43 JMD 226

5.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 JMD 1,454

$9.33 JMD 1,471

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 JMD 1,779

$11.26 JMD 1,775

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 441

$2.77 JMD 438

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 JMD 644

$4.04 JMD 637

1.24%

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)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.28 JMD 202

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 492

$3.22 JMD 508

-3.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 JMD 971

$6.37 JMD 1,004

-3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.42 JMD 223

3.52%

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

$43.5K JMD 6.9M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-1.09%

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

$33.4K JMD 5.3M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

1.78%

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

-0.02%

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

$29.28 JMD 4,618

$29.16 JMD 4,599

0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,368

$53.8 JMD 8,480

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,723

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,801

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 JMD 2,126

$13.46 JMD 2,123

0.15%

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

$355 JMD 55.9K

$363 JMD 57.3K

-2.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,242 JMD 1.3M

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

-1.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.02 JMD 3,788

$23.39 JMD 3,688

2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 JMD 4,970

$31.37 JMD 4,946

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$102 JMD 16.1K

0.72%

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 Green Island: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Green Island

$384 38.1%

Kingston

$385 23% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Green Island

$252 25%

Kingston

$252 15.1% 0.2% $0.6

Eating Out

Green Island

$222 22.1%

Kingston

$225 13.4% 1.2% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Green Island

$107 10.6%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Green Island

$27 * 2.7%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 229% $62

Getting Around

Green Island

$17 * 1.7%

Kingston

$58 3.5% 244% $41

Accommodation & Living

Green Island

- * 0%

Kingston

$562 33.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76 in Green Island vs $75 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $385, with Green Island cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Green Island

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

Same time as Green Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,546

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

Green Island Kingston 160 km

From you

Green Island
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

Green Island vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Green Island and Kingston differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,009 vs $1,677 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,513 in Green Island 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.

Childcare runs $355 in Green Island versus $363 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,009 per month in Green Island versus $1,677 in Kingston – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Green Island gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.