Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Bamboo

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Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Bamboo

🇯🇲 Jamaica

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 JMD 2,099

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,285

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 861

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

$1.14 JMD 180

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 115

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 661

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 JMD 598

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,003

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,644

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 957

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 JMD 604

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 484

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JMD 506

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 494

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,795

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 453

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 613

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 996

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 219

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

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

$29.86 JMD 4,717

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,443

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

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,752

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

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 Bamboo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$563 33.8%

Bamboo

–

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 23%

Bamboo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$250 15%

Bamboo

–

Eating Out

Kingston

$221 13.2%

Bamboo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Bamboo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.3%

Bamboo

–

Getting Around

Kingston

$57 3.5%

Bamboo

–

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Bamboo

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

4,264

💱 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

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Kingston Bamboo 68 km

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Kingston
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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 Bamboo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Bamboo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bamboo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.