Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Half Way Tree

For one person, living is cheaper in Half Way Tree: $853 a month against $1,693 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Half Way Tree
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Half Way Tree Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,693

/mo nomad

Half Way Tree

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Half Way Tree

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 Half Way Tree actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,693 per month in Kingston vs $853 in Half Way Tree, rent included.

Kingston $1,693
Half Way Tree $853

A couple spends around $2,846 per month in Kingston vs $1,419 in Half Way Tree, rent included.

Kingston $2,846
Half Way Tree $1,419

A family of three spends $3,998 per month in Kingston vs $1,984 in Half Way Tree, rent included.

Kingston $3,998
Half Way Tree $1,984

Kingston costs about 98% more than Half Way Tree, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kingston sits 25% above the global median, while Half Way Tree is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.53 JMD 2,449

$4.58 JMD 723

239.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

-0.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,271

$8.05 JMD 1,269

0.12%

Cappuccino

$5.26 JMD 830

$5.41 JMD 854

-2.77%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$0.96 JMD 151

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$0.60 JMD 94.7

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 JMD 323

$2.24 JMD 354

-8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.12 JMD 492

-0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 637

$3.79 JMD 598

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 580

$1.66 JMD 261

121.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$1.43 JMD 225

9.09%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 567

$3.59 JMD 566

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 JMD 1,792

$11.53 JMD 1,818

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 JMD 969

$6.33 JMD 998

-3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,612

$10.47 JMD 1,652

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 980

$4.26 JMD 672

45.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 609

$3.96 JMD 624

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.13 JMD 1,124

$4.15 JMD 655

71.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$2.75 JMD 434

7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 JMD 505

$2.74 JMD 433

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 JMD 429

$2.63 JMD 414

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.24 JMD 196

151.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 JMD 236

$0.97 JMD 153

54.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 JMD 1,460

$9.60 JMD 1,514

-3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 JMD 1,783

$11.51 JMD 1,815

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 453

$2.79 JMD 439

2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 620

$3.92 JMD 618

0.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 95.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 JMD 6,020

$44.91 JMD 7,083

-15.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 JMD 378

$0.90 JMD 142

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.07 JMD 484

4.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 JMD 989

$6.26 JMD 987

0.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.38 JMD 217

6.52%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

-0.19%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

0.89%

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

0.01%

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

$29.11 JMD 4,591

$28.93 JMD 4,564

0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,487

$44.29 JMD 6,985

21.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,735

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 JMD 2,759

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,092

$13.28 JMD 2,095

-0.15%

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

$357 JMD 56.3K

$62.8 JMD 9,906

468.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K JMD 2.7M

$8,201 JMD 1.3M

112.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.44 JMD 3,698

$15.54 JMD 2,451

50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 JMD 4,886

$31.86 JMD 5,025

-2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

$31.23 JMD 4,925

150.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$31.59 JMD 4,982

227.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 149.9K

$1,126 JMD 177.6K

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 JMD 89.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 JMD 331.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 JMD 223.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,921 JMD 460.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 JMD 317.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 JMD 114.5K

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 Half Way Tree: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$569 33.6%

Half Way Tree

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$381 22.5%

Half Way Tree

$322 37.8% 15.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$254 15%

Half Way Tree

$244 28.6% 3.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Kingston

$235 13.9%

Half Way Tree

$149 17.5% 36.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$106 6.3%

Half Way Tree

$50 5.8% 53.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.2%

Half Way Tree

$27 * 3.1% 69.9% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$59 3.5%

Half Way Tree

$61 * 7.2% 3.5% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $951 in Kingston versus $1,126 in Half Way Tree. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Kingston versus $76 in Half Way Tree. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Kingston vs $322 in Half Way Tree – so Half Way Tree wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Half Way Tree

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

18,552

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.66 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kingston Half Way Tree 5 km

From you

Kingston
Half Way Tree

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 Half Way Tree: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston costs about 98% more than Half Way Tree, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,539 per month in Kingston and $1,280 in Half Way Tree. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kingston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $951 there versus $1,126 in Half Way Tree.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Kingston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Kingston, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,693 in Kingston and $853 in Half Way Tree. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Half Way Tree has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $853 in Half Way Tree to $1,693 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.