Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $998 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingston and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $998 in Alexandria.

Kingston $1,668
Alexandria $998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,812 in Kingston versus $1,658 in Alexandria.

Kingston $2,812
Alexandria $1,658

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,955 in Kingston versus $2,317 in Alexandria.

Kingston $3,955
Alexandria $2,317

Living in Kingston is roughly 67% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 24% above, Alexandria is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 JMD 2,099

$13.42 JMD 2,120

-0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

-3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,285

$8.21 JMD 1,298

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 861

$5.37 JMD 849

1.49%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.16 JMD 183

-1.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 115

$0.74 JMD 117

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

$2.22 JMD 351

-2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 661

$4.20 JMD 664

-0.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 JMD 598

$3.71 JMD 586

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$1.57 JMD 248

2.55%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$3.63 JMD 573

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$11.31 JMD 1,787

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,003

$6.18 JMD 976

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,644

$10.19 JMD 1,611

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 957

$5.94 JMD 938

1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 JMD 604

$3.86 JMD 610

-1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

$7.13 JMD 1,127

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 484

$3.04 JMD 480

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JMD 506

$3.17 JMD 501

1.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

$2.66 JMD 420

-1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 494

$3.07 JMD 484

1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

$1.44 JMD 227

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

$9.61 JMD 1,519

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,795

$11.11 JMD 1,755

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 453

$2.77 JMD 437

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 613

$4.06 JMD 642

-4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JMD 119

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 JMD 5,888

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 192

$1.16 JMD 183

5.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$3.17 JMD 501

0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 996

$6.12 JMD 967

3.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 219

$1.39 JMD 220

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

2.14%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

1.34%

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

$165 JMD 26.1K

1.16%

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

$29.86 JMD 4,717

$29.45 JMD 4,653

1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,443

$53.1 JMD 8,382

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,078

$13.30 JMD 2,101

-1.13%

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

$364 JMD 57.5K

-1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

$8,298 JMD 1.3M

1.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,752

$23.82 JMD 3,764

-0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

$31.89 JMD 5,039

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

$75.9 JMD 12.0K

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

$102 JMD 16.1K

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 JMD 154.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 89.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 JMD 116.1K

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 Kingston: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$563 33.8%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 23%

Alexandria

$380 38.1% 1% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$250 15%

Alexandria

$247 24.8% 1.1% $2.7

Eating Out

Kingston

$221 13.2%

Alexandria

$221 22.2% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Alexandria

$105 10.5% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.3%

Alexandria

$27 * 2.7% 69.9% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$57 3.5%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7% 70.4% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $77.0 in Alexandria. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $380, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

1,927

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Kingston vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston and Alexandria differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $998 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,502 in Kingston and $1,497 in Alexandria 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 $359 in Kingston versus $364 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $74.0 in Kingston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $998 in Alexandria versus $1,668 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria 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.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.