Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Gordon Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Gordon Town: $1,002 a month against $1,693 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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 Gordon Town
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Gordon Town Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,693

/mo nomad

Gordon Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Gordon Town

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

A single person spends $1,693 per month in Kingston vs $1,002 in Gordon Town, rent included.

Kingston $1,693
Gordon Town $1,002

A couple spends around $2,846 per month in Kingston vs $1,658 in Gordon Town, rent included.

Kingston $2,846
Gordon Town $1,658

A family of three spends $3,998 per month in Kingston vs $2,314 in Gordon Town, rent included.

Kingston $3,998
Gordon Town $2,314

Kingston costs about 69% more than Gordon Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Kingston sits 25% above the global median, while Gordon Town is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.53 JMD 2,451

$13.32 JMD 2,102

16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

$75.3 JMD 11.9K

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,271

$8.33 JMD 1,314

-3.24%

Cappuccino

$5.26 JMD 830

$5.26 JMD 829

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

$1.14 JMD 180

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$0.71 JMD 111

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 JMD 324

$2.15 JMD 339

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 490

$3.10 JMD 489

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 638

$4.06 JMD 641

-0.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 580

$3.78 JMD 597

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$1.62 JMD 256

-3.70%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 567

$3.47 JMD 547

3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 JMD 1,793

$11.24 JMD 1,773

1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 JMD 969

$6.31 JMD 996

-2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,613

$10.17 JMD 1,605

0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 981

$5.93 JMD 935

4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 609

$4.01 JMD 632

-3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.13 JMD 1,125

$7.18 JMD 1,133

-0.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$3.10 JMD 489

-4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 JMD 505

$3.29 JMD 520

-2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 JMD 429

$2.69 JMD 424

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 492

$3.03 JMD 479

2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 JMD 236

$1.48 JMD 234

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 JMD 1,460

$9.48 JMD 1,496

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 JMD 1,784

$11.46 JMD 1,808

-1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 453

$2.84 JMD 448

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

$3.96 JMD 625

-0.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 95.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 JMD 6,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 JMD 378

$1.28 JMD 202

87.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.19 JMD 504

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 JMD 990

$6.34 JMD 1,001

-1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.42 JMD 223

3.52%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

-0.06%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$32.5K JMD 5.1M

1.26%

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

$167 JMD 26.4K

2.21%

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

$29.11 JMD 4,593

$29.22 JMD 4,610

-0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,491

$53.7 JMD 8,474

0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,739

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 JMD 2,760

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,092

$13.34 JMD 2,105

-0.60%

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

$357 JMD 56.3K

$356 JMD 56.2K

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K JMD 2.7M

$8,247 JMD 1.3M

110.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.44 JMD 3,699

$23.99 JMD 3,785

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 JMD 4,889

$30.92 JMD 4,879

0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

$79.0 JMD 12.5K

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$101 JMD 16.0K

1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 JMD 89.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 JMD 331.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 JMD 223.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,921 JMD 460.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 JMD 318.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 JMD 114.6K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Gordon Town: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$569 33.6%

Gordon Town

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$381 22.5%

Gordon Town

$383 38.2% 0.4% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$254 15%

Gordon Town

$250 25% 1.5% $3.7

Eating Out

Kingston

$235 13.9%

Gordon Town

$219 21.9% 7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$106 6.3%

Gordon Town

$106 10.6% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.2%

Gordon Town

$27 * 2.7% 69.8% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$59 3.5%

Gordon Town

$17 * 1.7% 70.8% $42

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 $76 in Kingston versus $75 in Gordon Town. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Kingston vs $383 in Gordon Town – so Kingston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Gordon Town

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

1,088

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kingston Gordon Town 11 km

From you

Kingston
Gordon Town

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 Gordon Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,539 per month in Kingston and $1,502 in Gordon Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,693 in Kingston and $1,002 in Gordon Town. That makes Gordon Town about 41% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $357 per month in Kingston and $356 in Gordon Town. 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 Gordon Town, where all-in costs run around $1,002, than in Kingston at $1,693. In Gordon Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kingston has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,002 in Gordon Town to $1,693 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.