Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaลกtela and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaลกtela and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Kaลกtela versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,164 in Kaลกtela versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,932 in Kaลกtela versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Kaลกtela costs roughly 4% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaลกtela 4% above, Kingston 8% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.28 โ‚ฌ14.00
$7.61 JMDย 1,192
113.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.7 โ‚ฌ69.4
$62.0 JMDย 9,707
30.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 โ‚ฌ8.18
$8.80 JMDย 1,379
8.07%
Cappuccino
$2.81 โ‚ฌ2.42
$4.36 JMDย 682
-35.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 โ‚ฌ3.06
$1.32 JMDย 207
169.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 โ‚ฌ2.27
$0.74 JMDย 117
256.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.60 โ‚ฌ3.96
$2.57 JMDย 403
78.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 โ‚ฌ3.22
$3.20 JMDย 501
16.88%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 โ‚ฌ1.19
$4.36 JMDย 684
-68.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 โ‚ฌ1.33
$3.66 JMDย 573
-57.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 โ‚ฌ2.61
$1.57 JMDย 246
92.99%
Eggs
$3.81 โ‚ฌ3.27
$3.47 JMDย 543
9.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.59 โ‚ฌ8.25
$11.19 JMDย 1,754
-14.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.76 โ‚ฌ8.40
$6.42 JMDย 1,007
52.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.55 โ‚ฌ10.80
$7.82 JMDย 1,225
60.49%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 โ‚ฌ1.46
$5.96 JMDย 933
-71.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 โ‚ฌ1.42
$3.13 JMDย 491
-47.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.82
$4.30 JMDย 673
-50.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 โ‚ฌ2.03
$2.96 JMDย 464
-20.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 โ‚ฌ1.30
$2.03 JMDย 317
-25.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 โ‚ฌ1.25
$2.01 JMDย 315
-27.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 โ‚ฌ1.22
$3.12 JMDย 489
-54.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 โ‚ฌ1.08
$1.45 JMDย 227
-13.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 โ‚ฌ4.94
$8.89 JMDย 1,393
-35.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.34 โ‚ฌ6.31
$11.29 JMDย 1,769
-34.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 โ‚ฌ1.18
$2.90 JMDย 454
-52.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 โ‚ฌ1.01
$3.20 JMDย 502
-63.13%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ2.00
$0.89 JMDย 140
161.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.76 โ‚ฌ32.48
$48.53 JMDย 7,604
-22.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 โ‚ฌ2.96
$1.12 JMDย 176
207.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 โ‚ฌ1.76
$3.15 JMDย 494
-35.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.29 โ‚ฌ7.99
$6.19 JMDย 971
50.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 โ‚ฌ1.47
$1.28 JMDย 201
32.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K โ‚ฌ33.1K
$43.2K JMDย 6.8M
-10.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K โ‚ฌ22.9K
$33.8K JMDย 5.3M
-21.19%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$184 โ‚ฌ158
$163 JMDย 25.5K
12.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.06 โ‚ฌ20.69
$22.49 JMDย 3,523
6.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.56 โ‚ฌ21.99
$50.7 JMDย 7,942
-49.58%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.6 โ‚ฌ50.4
$69.4 JMDย 10.9K
-15.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.59 โ‚ฌ12.55
$15.50 JMDย 2,428
-5.87%
Cinema Ticket
$9.29 โ‚ฌ7.99
$12.92 JMDย 2,024
-28.10%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$187 โ‚ฌ161
$222 JMDย 34.8K
-15.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,402 โ‚ฌ1,206
$2,451 JMDย 384.0K
-42.78%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.5 โ‚ฌ71.8
$25.73 JMDย 4,032
224.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.96 โ‚ฌ24.05
$25.24 JMDย 3,955
10.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 โ‚ฌ92.2
$72.4 JMDย 11.3K
48.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 โ‚ฌ89.4
$75.6 JMDย 11.8K
37.45%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 โ‚ฌ414
$880 JMDย 137.9K
-45.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 โ‚ฌ298
$451 JMDย 70.7K
-23.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 โ‚ฌ532
$2,021 JMDย 316.7K
-69.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 โ‚ฌ476
$1,204 JMDย 188.7K
-54.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,420 โ‚ฌ2,942
$2,863 JMDย 448.5K
19.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,463 โ‚ฌ2,118
$2,192 JMDย 343.5K
12.32%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Kaลกtela
Kingston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$926 โ‚ฌ797
$732 JMDย 114.7K
26.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.35
9.15
-52.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kaลกtela: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Kaลกtela and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaลกtela pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Kaลกtela vs $62.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $353, with Kaลกtela cheaper for home cooking.

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
Kaลกtela vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kaลกtela and Kingston?
Kaลกtela and Kingston differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,395 vs $1,451 including rent). Kaลกtela is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Kaลกtela or Kingston?
Kaลกtela pays 26% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Kaลกtela and Kingston?
Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Kaลกtela versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Kaลกtela and Kingston?
A monthly transit pass in Kaลกtela runs roughly 29% less than in Kingston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kaลกtela and Kingston?
Childcare runs $187 in Kaลกtela versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,395 in Kaลกtela versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaลกtela but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Kaลกtela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Kaลกtela and Kingston?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Kaลกtela or Kingston safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kaลกtela 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.
Where should expats move: Kaลกtela or Kingston?
Expats usually find Kaลกtela gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 4% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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