Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,454 in Kingston versus $1,086 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,432 in Kingston versus $1,829 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Kingston versus $2,572 in Portmore.

Living in Kingston is roughly 34% more expensive than Portmore, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 8% above, Portmore is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 JMD 1,186

$4.79 JMD 754

57.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 JMD 9,962

$62.6 JMD 9,843

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 JMD 1,378

$8.99 JMD 1,413

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$4.44 JMD 699

$4.39 JMD 691

1.14%

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

$1.31 JMD 206

$0.63 JMD 99.8

107.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.55 JMD 85.8

25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 404

$1.93 JMD 303

33.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$2.21 JMD 348

39.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.32 JMD 680

$3.06 JMD 481

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 JMD 557

$3.60 JMD 566

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$1.01 JMD 159

59.41%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 550

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 JMD 1,745

$11.11 JMD 1,748

-0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 JMD 1,022

$6.26 JMD 984

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 JMD 1,225

$7.48 JMD 1,177

4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 967

$5.86 JMD 922

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 481

$3.01 JMD 473

1.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 JMD 681

$2.93 JMD 461

47.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 472

$2.96 JMD 466

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 JMD 322

$2.04 JMD 321

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 301

$1.94 JMD 305

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 492

$1.59 JMD 250

96.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.24 JMD 195

16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 JMD 1,416

$8.96 JMD 1,409

0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 JMD 1,823

$11.53 JMD 1,814

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 449

$2.84 JMD 447

0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$2.13 JMD 334

44.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$1.52 JMD 240

-41.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.88 JMD 7,844

$63.3 JMD 9,958

-21.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 170

$0.92 JMD 145

17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 JMD 497

$3.19 JMD 502

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 JMD 971

$6.31 JMD 993

-2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.08 JMD 171

14.81%

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

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

0.42%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

1.31%

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

$165 JMD 25.9K

$155 JMD 24.4K

6.16%

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

$21.76 JMD 3,422

$21.91 JMD 3,446

-0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 JMD 8,162

$50.2 JMD 7,897

3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.47 JMD 2,433

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,078

$13.38 JMD 2,104

-1.27%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$226 JMD 35.5K

1.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,456 JMD 386.2K

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

-2.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.42 JMD 4,156

$26.22 JMD 4,123

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.61 JMD 4,028

$26.01 JMD 4,090

-1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

-3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 JMD 139.4K

$317 JMD 49.9K

179.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 JMD 70.2K

$218 JMD 34.3K

104.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 JMD 313.9K

$663 JMD 104.2K

201.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 JMD 190.8K

$597 JMD 93.9K

103.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,824 JMD 444.1K

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

-63.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,167 JMD 340.8K

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

-63.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 JMD 118.6K

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

-41.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kingston: June 7, 2026

Last update for Portmore: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $886 in Kingston and $317 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Kingston vs $63.0 in Portmore. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $318, with Portmore cheaper for home cooking.

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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Portmore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Portmore earns 72% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $886 in Kingston versus $317 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Kingston versus $226 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,454 in Kingston, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.