Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, Jamaica and Saint Andrew Parish

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Andrew Parish: $1,496 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrew Parish
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Saint Andrew Parish Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Saint Andrew Parish

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Saint Andrew Parish

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 Saint Andrew Parish actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Kingston versus $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish.

Kingston $1,677
Saint Andrew Parish $1,496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,829 in Kingston versus $2,422 in Saint Andrew Parish.

Kingston $2,829
Saint Andrew Parish $2,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Kingston versus $3,348 in Saint Andrew Parish.

Kingston $3,980
Saint Andrew Parish $3,348

Living in Kingston is roughly 12% more expensive than in Saint Andrew Parish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 23% above, Saint Andrew Parish 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 JMD 2,180

$13.43 JMD 2,121

2.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.9K

$67.2 JMD 10.6K

11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 JMD 1,312

$8.15 JMD 1,288

1.96%

Cappuccino

$5.36 JMD 847

$5.42 JMD 856

-1.11%

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 117

$0.71 JMD 111

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.24 JMD 355

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 JMD 511

$3.22 JMD 509

0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 668

$3.38 JMD 533

25.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 JMD 610

$2.60 JMD 411

48.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 259

$1.63 JMD 257

0.61%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 567

$3.51 JMD 554

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,824

$11.52 JMD 1,820

0.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 985

$6.23 JMD 984

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,615

$10.36 JMD 1,638

-1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 958

$6.07 JMD 960

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 612

$3.98 JMD 630

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

$4.94 JMD 781

46.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 489

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 502

$3.32 JMD 525

-4.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 423

$2.58 JMD 408

3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 489

$1.86 JMD 294

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 227

$0.96 JMD 151

48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,474

$9.27 JMD 1,465

0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 JMD 1,779

$11.46 JMD 1,810

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.54 JMD 401

9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 JMD 639

$3.08 JMD 487

31.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 96.5

$0.65 JMD 103

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.10 JMD 6,019

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 203

$0.97 JMD 154

31.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 509

$3.10 JMD 490

3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 JMD 1,006

$6.14 JMD 970

3.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 224

$1.30 JMD 206

9.23%

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

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

-2.18%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$24.9K JMD 3.9M

31.61%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$115 JMD 18.2K

47.52%

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

$29.16 JMD 4,608

$29.93 JMD 4,728

-2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,496

$53.3 JMD 8,419

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,742

$60.1 JMD 9,497

2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,806

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 JMD 2,127

$13.44 JMD 2,123

0.15%

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

$363 JMD 57.4K

$254 JMD 40.1K

43.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

$8,331 JMD 1.3M

0.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.39 JMD 3,695

$23.59 JMD 3,727

-0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,956

$31.28 JMD 4,942

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 JMD 151.3K

$825 JMD 130.3K

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 JMD 88.8K

$534 JMD 84.3K

5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 JMD 331.9K

$1,680 JMD 265.4K

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 JMD 224.7K

$1,109 JMD 175.1K

28.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,849 JMD 450.1K

$2,675 JMD 422.7K

6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 JMD 327.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 JMD 118.5K

$726 JMD 114.8K

3.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.00%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrew Parish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$562 33.5%

Saint Andrew Parish

$534 35.7% 5% $28

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$385 23%

Saint Andrew Parish

$342 22.9% 11.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$252 15.1%

Saint Andrew Parish

$198 13.3% 21.5% $54

Eating Out

Kingston

$225 13.4%

Saint Andrew Parish

$222 14.9% 1.3% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Saint Andrew Parish

$93 6.2% 11.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Saint Andrew Parish

$87 5.8% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.5%

Saint Andrew Parish

$19 * 1.3% 67.1% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Kingston and $825 in Saint Andrew Parish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75 in Kingston vs $67 in Saint Andrew Parish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $342 per month, with Saint Andrew Parish cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇲 Saint Andrew Parish

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

555,995

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kingston Saint Andrew Parish 12 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 Saint Andrew Parish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Andrew Parish wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saint Andrew Parish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Kingston, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $958 in Kingston versus $825 in Saint Andrew Parish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,677 per month in Kingston versus $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish – Saint Andrew Parish is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

For families, Saint Andrew Parish is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kingston, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Saint Andrew Parish wins on affordability, Kingston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.