Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Manchioneal

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchioneal: $1,007 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 Manchioneal
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Manchioneal Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Manchioneal

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Manchioneal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Kingston versus $1,007 in Manchioneal.

Kingston $1,677
Manchioneal $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,829 in Kingston versus $1,667 in Manchioneal.

Kingston $2,829
Manchioneal $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Kingston versus $2,327 in Manchioneal.

Kingston $3,980
Manchioneal $2,327

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 JMD 2,175

$13.72 JMD 2,163

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

$75.4 JMD 11.9K

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 JMD 1,310

$8.21 JMD 1,295

1.22%

Cappuccino

$5.36 JMD 846

$5.38 JMD 848

-0.37%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.15 JMD 181

3.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 116

$0.69 JMD 108

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.18 JMD 344

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 JMD 510

$3.21 JMD 506

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 667

$4.24 JMD 669

-0.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 JMD 609

$3.67 JMD 579

5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.56 JMD 247

5.13%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 565

$3.51 JMD 553

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,821

$11.31 JMD 1,783

2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 983

$6.13 JMD 966

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,612

$10.19 JMD 1,606

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 957

$5.90 JMD 930

2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 610

$3.99 JMD 629

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,144

$7.26 JMD 1,146

-0.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$2.96 JMD 467

4.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 501

$3.26 JMD 514

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 422

$2.70 JMD 426

-0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.03 JMD 477

2.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$1.49 JMD 236

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,471

$9.48 JMD 1,495

-1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 JMD 1,775

$11.37 JMD 1,792

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.84 JMD 447

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 JMD 637

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 508

$3.21 JMD 506

0.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 JMD 1,004

$6.21 JMD 980

2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 223

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

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

-0.75%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

-0.82%

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

$169 JMD 26.7K

0.09%

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

$29.16 JMD 4,599

$29.96 JMD 4,724

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,480

$51.9 JMD 8,178

3.68%

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

$13.40 JMD 2,113

0.45%

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

$363 JMD 57.3K

$364 JMD 57.4K

-0.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

$8,069 JMD 1.3M

3.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.39 JMD 3,688

$23.68 JMD 3,734

-1.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,946

$30.92 JMD 4,876

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$79.0 JMD 12.5K

-2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$103 JMD 16.2K

-0.72%

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 Manchioneal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$562 33.5%

Manchioneal

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$385 23%

Manchioneal

$382 37.9% 0.8% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$252 15.1%

Manchioneal

$251 24.9% 0.5% $1.3

Eating Out

Kingston

$225 13.4%

Manchioneal

$224 22.2% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Manchioneal

$106 10.6% 1% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Manchioneal

$27 * 2.7% 69.7% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.5%

Manchioneal

$17 * 1.7% 70.1% $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 $75 in Manchioneal. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $382, with Manchioneal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Manchioneal

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

2,321

💱 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 Manchioneal 55 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 Manchioneal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchioneal wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manchioneal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,515 in Kingston and $1,511 in Manchioneal 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 $364 in Manchioneal. 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 $1,007 in Manchioneal – Manchioneal is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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.