Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,693 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,693

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Kingston versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Kingston $1,693
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,846 in Kingston versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Kingston $2,846
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,998 in Kingston versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Kingston $3,998
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Kingston costs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 25% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.53 JMD 2,451

$21.34 $21.34

-27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

$87.9 $87.9

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,271

$12.44 $12.44

-35.21%

Cappuccino

$5.26 JMD 830

$5.60 $5.60

-6.07%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$3.65 $3.65

-68.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$2.39 $2.39

-70.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 JMD 324

$7.82 $7.82

-73.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 490

$8.75 $8.75

-64.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 638

$1.12 $1.12

260.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 580

$3.62 $3.62

1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$3.50 $3.50

-55.43%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 567

$4.45 $4.45

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 JMD 1,793

$13.18 $13.18

-13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 JMD 969

$13.94 $13.94

-55.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,613

$16.46 $16.46

-37.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 981

$4.73 $4.73

31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 609

$1.50 $1.50

157.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.13 JMD 1,125

$4.64 $4.64

53.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$4.52 $4.52

-34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 JMD 505

$2.55 $2.55

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 JMD 429

$2.39 $2.39

13.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.84 $1.84

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 JMD 236

$2.13 $2.13

-29.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 JMD 1,460

$10.05 $10.05

-7.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 JMD 1,784

$14.88 $14.88

-24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 453

$2.82 $2.82

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

$3.29 $3.29

19.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 95.8

$1.23 $1.23

-50.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 JMD 6,023

$41.43 $41.43

-7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 JMD 378

$2.68 $2.68

-10.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

$1.63 $1.63

96.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 JMD 990

$35.20 $35.20

-82.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$34.4K $34.4K

28.95%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$26.8K $26.8K

22.55%

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

$252 $252

-32.23%

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

$29.11 JMD 4,593

$59.8 $59.8

-51.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,491

$69.7 $69.7

-22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,739

$60.4 $60.4

2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 JMD 2,760

$18.14 $18.14

-3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,092

$13.75 $13.75

-3.56%

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

$357 JMD 56.3K

$1,458 $1,458

-75.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K JMD 2.7M

$26.6K $26.6K

-34.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.44 JMD 3,699

$52.6 $52.6

-55.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 JMD 4,889

$45.76 $45.76

-32.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

$85.5 $85.5

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$106 $106

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.0K

$2,195 $2,195

-56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 JMD 89.8K

$1,269 $1,269

-55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 JMD 331.1K

$4,000 $4,000

-47.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 JMD 223.8K

$2,406 $2,406

-41.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,921 JMD 460.9K

$7,381 $7,381

-60.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 JMD 318.0K

$2,964 $2,964

-32.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 JMD 114.6K

$5,043 $5,043

-85.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

6.82

38.56%

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

Last update for Kingston: November 1, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$569 33.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 123% $700

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$381 22.5%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 6.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$254 15%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 50.4% $128

Eating Out

Kingston

$235 13.9%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 51.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$106 6.3%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 22.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.2%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Kingston

$59 3.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 3.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $951 in Kingston and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 6.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Kingston vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $407 per month, with Kingston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

1 h behind Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kingston Austin, TX 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Kingston. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $951 in Kingston versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,693 per month in Kingston versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Kingston is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston runs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,693 in Kingston versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.