Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Dalton, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,668 a month against $1,757 in Dalton, GA, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dalton, GA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
Learn more

Kingston Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Dalton, GA
Learn more

Dalton, GA Living Index

Jump to prices

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Dalton, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Dalton, GA

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 Dalton, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,757 in Dalton, GA.

Kingston $1,668
Dalton, GA $1,757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,812 in Kingston versus $2,486 in Dalton, GA.

Kingston $2,812
Dalton, GA $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,955 in Kingston versus $3,215 in Dalton, GA.

Kingston $3,955
Dalton, GA $3,215

Living in Kingston costs roughly 5% less than in Dalton, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 24% above, Dalton, GA 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 JMD 2,099

$15.72 $15.72

-15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

$30.35 $30.35

143.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,285

$5.82 $5.82

39.86%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 861

$4.93 $4.93

10.55%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$2.45 $2.45

-53.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 115

$0.99 $0.99

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

$4.91 $4.91

-56.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

$3.98 $3.98

-21.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 661

$0.86 $0.86

387.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 JMD 598

$2.90 $2.90

30.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$2.64 $2.64

-39.02%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$3.38 $3.38

2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$9.67 $9.67

17.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,003

$9.52 $9.52

-33.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,644

$8.40 $8.40

23.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 957

$3.61 $3.61

67.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 JMD 604

$1.40 $1.40

172.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

$3.47 $3.47

108.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 484

$2.49 $2.49

22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JMD 506

$1.89 $1.89

69.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

$2.27 $2.27

15.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 494

$1.75 $1.75

78.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

$1.90 $1.90

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

$4.22 $4.22

124.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,795

$10.60 $10.60

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 453

$1.32 $1.32

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 613

$1.24 $1.24

212.90%

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

$3.90 $3.90

-68.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$1.87 $1.87

71.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 996

$32.09 $32.09

-80.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 219

$0.79 $0.79

75.95%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$34.9K $34.9K

27.00%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$25.8K $25.8K

27.01%

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

$168 $168

-0.73%

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

$29.86 JMD 4,717

$44.57 $44.57

-33.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,443

$72.9 $72.9

-26.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

$29.95 $29.95

106.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,078

$11.87 $11.87

10.78%

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

$1,572 $1,572

-77.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

$8,520 $8,520

-1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,752

$26.18 $26.18

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

$26.72 $26.72

16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

$78.8 $78.8

-2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

$65.2 $65.2

54.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 JMD 154.0K

$999 $999

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 89.0K

$781 $781

-27.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

$1,364 $1,364

57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

$1,241 $1,241

14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

$2,522 $2,522

14.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

$2,400 $2,400

-14.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 JMD 116.1K

$2,990 $2,990

-75.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

6.65

42.11%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dalton, GA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$563 33.8%

Dalton, GA

$781 44.4% 38.6% $218

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 23%

Dalton, GA

$287 16.3% 25.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$250 15%

Dalton, GA

$286 16.3% 14.2% $35

Eating Out

Kingston

$221 13.2%

Dalton, GA

$249 14.2% 12.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Dalton, GA

$89 5% 15.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.3%

Dalton, GA

$54 3.1% 39.2% $35

Getting Around

Kingston

$57 3.5%

Dalton, GA

$13 * 0.8% 77% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Kingston and $999 in Dalton, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalton, GA pays 307% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $30.00 in Dalton, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $287 per month, with Dalton, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇺🇸 Dalton, GA

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

11:52 11:52 AM

1 h ahead of Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

33,045

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kingston Dalton, GA 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
Dalton, GA

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 Dalton, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston and Dalton, GA differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $1,757 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 307% lower in Dalton, GA. 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: $975 in Kingston versus $999 in Dalton, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Kingston versus $1,572 in Dalton, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kingston – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $30.00 in Dalton, GA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,757 in Dalton, GA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Dalton, GA. 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 5% less than in Dalton, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.