Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Green Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Green Island: $1,009 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 Green Island
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Green Island Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Green Island

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Green Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Kingston versus $1,009 in Green Island.

Kingston $1,677
Green Island $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,829 in Kingston versus $1,670 in Green Island.

Kingston $2,829
Green Island $1,670

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Kingston versus $2,332 in Green Island.

Kingston $3,980
Green Island $2,332

Living in Kingston is roughly 66% more expensive than in Green Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 23% above, Green Island is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 JMD 2,175

$13.69 JMD 2,159

0.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

$76.0 JMD 12.0K

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 JMD 1,310

$8.07 JMD 1,273

2.97%

Cappuccino

$5.36 JMD 846

$5.33 JMD 840

0.56%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.20 JMD 190

-0.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 116

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.17 JMD 342

4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 JMD 510

$3.06 JMD 482

5.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 667

$4.10 JMD 646

3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 JMD 609

$3.70 JMD 584

4.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.62 JMD 255

1.23%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 565

$3.47 JMD 547

3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,821

$11.45 JMD 1,806

0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 983

$6.34 JMD 1,000

-1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,612

$10.40 JMD 1,640

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 957

$6.09 JMD 960

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 610

$3.92 JMD 618

-1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,144

$7.21 JMD 1,137

0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.12 JMD 492

-0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 501

$3.17 JMD 500

0.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 422

$2.70 JMD 426

-0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.10 JMD 489

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$1.51 JMD 238

-5.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,471

$9.22 JMD 1,454

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 JMD 1,775

$11.28 JMD 1,779

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.80 JMD 441

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 JMD 637

$4.09 JMD 644

-1.22%

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

$1.24 JMD 196

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 508

$3.12 JMD 492

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 JMD 1,004

$6.16 JMD 971

3.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 223

$1.47 JMD 232

-3.40%

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

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

$43.5K JMD 6.9M

1.10%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$33.4K JMD 5.3M

-1.75%

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

0.02%

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

$29.16 JMD 4,599

$29.28 JMD 4,618

-0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,480

$53.1 JMD 8,368

1.32%

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

$13.48 JMD 2,126

-0.15%

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

$363 JMD 57.3K

$355 JMD 55.9K

2.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

$8,242 JMD 1.3M

1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.39 JMD 3,688

$24.02 JMD 3,788

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,946

$31.52 JMD 4,970

-0.48%

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 16.2K

-0.71%

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 Green Island: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$562 33.5%

Green Island

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$385 23%

Green Island

$384 38.1% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$252 15.1%

Green Island

$252 25% 0.2% $0.6

Eating Out

Kingston

$225 13.4%

Green Island

$222 22.1% 1.2% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Green Island

$107 10.6% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Green Island

$27 * 2.7% 69.6% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.5%

Green Island

$17 * 1.7% 70.9% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $75 in Kingston vs $76 in Green Island. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $384, with Green Island cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Green Island

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

2,546

💱 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

On the map

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Kingston Green Island 160 km

From you

Kingston
Green Island

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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston and Green Island differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,009 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,515 in Kingston and $1,513 in Green Island to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $363 in Kingston versus $355 in Green Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,677 per month in Kingston versus $1,009 in Green Island – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Green Island gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.