Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Duncans

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncans: $1,011 a month against $1,677 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Duncans
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Duncans Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Duncans

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Duncans

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

A single person spends $1,677 per month in Kingston vs $1,011 in Duncans, rent included.

Kingston $1,677
Duncans $1,011

A couple spends around $2,829 per month in Kingston vs $1,673 in Duncans, rent included.

Kingston $2,829
Duncans $1,673

A family of three spends $3,980 per month in Kingston vs $2,336 in Duncans, rent included.

Kingston $3,980
Duncans $2,336

Kingston costs about 66% more than Duncans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Kingston sits 23% above the global median, while Duncans is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 JMD 2,175

$13.60 JMD 2,144

1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

-0.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 JMD 1,310

$8.14 JMD 1,284

2.09%

Cappuccino

$5.36 JMD 846

$5.44 JMD 858

-1.47%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.14 JMD 180

4.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 116

$0.71 JMD 111

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.25 JMD 355

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 JMD 510

$3.21 JMD 507

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 667

$4.15 JMD 655

1.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 JMD 609

$3.73 JMD 588

3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.58 JMD 249

3.80%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 565

$3.58 JMD 565

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,821

$11.50 JMD 1,813

0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 983

$6.21 JMD 979

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,612

$10.34 JMD 1,631

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 957

$6.01 JMD 947

1.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 610

$3.97 JMD 625

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,144

$7.54 JMD 1,190

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.02 JMD 476

2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 501

$3.32 JMD 523

-4.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 422

$2.61 JMD 411

2.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.01 JMD 475

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,471

$9.48 JMD 1,494

-1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 JMD 1,775

$11.25 JMD 1,775

0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.78 JMD 439

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 JMD 637

$3.96 JMD 625

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 96.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.10 JMD 6,008

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 202

$1.27 JMD 200

0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 508

$3.20 JMD 505

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 JMD 1,004

$6.23 JMD 983

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 223

$1.45 JMD 228

-2.07%

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

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

$44.1K JMD 7.0M

-0.30%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

1.91%

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

$171 JMD 27.0K

-1.03%

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

$29.16 JMD 4,599

$29.64 JMD 4,674

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,480

$51.8 JMD 8,166

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,723

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,801

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 JMD 2,123

$13.41 JMD 2,115

0.37%

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

$363 JMD 57.3K

$355 JMD 56.0K

2.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

$8,307 JMD 1.3M

0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.39 JMD 3,688

$23.91 JMD 3,771

-2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,946

$31.38 JMD 4,949

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

-1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$103 JMD 16.3K

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 JMD 151.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 JMD 88.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 JMD 331.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 JMD 224.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,849 JMD 449.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 JMD 326.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 JMD 118.3K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Duncans: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$562 33.5%

Duncans

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$385 23%

Duncans

$384 38% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$252 15.1%

Duncans

$253 25% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Kingston

$225 13.4%

Duncans

$224 22.1% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Duncans

$107 10.6% 1.4% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Duncans

$27 * 2.7% 69.7% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.5%

Duncans

$17 * 1.7% 70.2% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Kingston versus $76 in Duncans. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Kingston vs $384 in Duncans – so Duncans wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Duncans

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

5,153

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kingston Duncans 96 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 Duncans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,515 per month in Kingston and $1,517 in Duncans. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,677 in Kingston and $1,011 in Duncans. That’s a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $363 per month in Kingston and $355 in Duncans. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Duncans, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Kingston at $1,677. In Duncans it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.