Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Stony Hill

For one person, living costs are similar in Kingston and in Stony Hill: $1,668 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kingston
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,668
/mo nomad
Stony Hill
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Stony Hill

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,614 in Stony Hill.

  • Kingston $1,668
  • Stony Hill $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,812 in Kingston versus $2,808 in Stony Hill.

  • Kingston $2,812
  • Stony Hill $2,808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,955 in Kingston versus $4,002 in Stony Hill.

  • Kingston $3,955
  • Stony Hill $4,002

Living in Kingston is roughly 3% more expensive than in Stony Hill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 24% above, Stony Hill 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.29 JMD 2,099
$13.54 JMD 2,140
-1.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.8 JMD 11.7K
$75.1 JMD 11.9K
-1.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 JMD 1,285
$8.37 JMD 1,322
-2.75%
Cappuccino
$5.45 JMD 861
$5.37 JMD 849
1.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 JMD 180
$1.14 JMD 180
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 JMD 115
$0.60 JMD 94.8
20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 JMD 341
$1.86 JMD 293
16.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 JMD 491
$3.22 JMD 509
-3.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.19 JMD 661
$3.08 JMD 487
36.04%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 JMD 598
$1.55 JMD 245
143.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 JMD 254
$1.65 JMD 260
-2.42%
Eggs
$3.48 JMD 550
$3.47 JMD 548
0.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 JMD 1,801
$11.50 JMD 1,817
-0.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.35 JMD 1,003
$4.92 JMD 777
29.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.40 JMD 1,644
$2.87 JMD 454
262.37%
Apples (1kg)
$6.05 JMD 957
$5.89 JMD 931
2.72%
Banana (1kg)
$3.82 JMD 604
$3.76 JMD 594
1.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.25 JMD 1,146
$4.12 JMD 652
75.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.06 JMD 484
$2.45 JMD 388
24.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 JMD 506
$2.75 JMD 435
16.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 JMD 415
$1.90 JMD 300
37.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.13 JMD 494
$1.61 JMD 255
94.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 JMD 228
$1.45 JMD 229
-0.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.48 JMD 1,498
$9.45 JMD 1,493
0.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.36 JMD 1,795
$11.13 JMD 1,759
2.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 JMD 453
$2.79 JMD 440
2.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 JMD 613
$3.90 JMD 616
-0.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 JMD 119
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.27 JMD 5,888
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 JMD 192
$1.16 JMD 183
5.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.20 JMD 505
$3.21 JMD 506
-0.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.31 JMD 996
$6.29 JMD 993
0.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 JMD 219
$0.72 JMD 113
93.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K JMD 7.0M
$31.7K JMD 5.0M
39.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K JMD 5.2M
$25.3K JMD 4.0M
29.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 JMD 26.4K
$46.98 JMD 7,422
255.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.86 JMD 4,717
$21.73 JMD 3,433
37.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.4 JMD 8,443
$41.54 JMD 6,563
28.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.9 JMD 9,787
$75.6 JMD 11.9K
-18.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.61 JMD 2,782
$19.10 JMD 3,017
-7.80%
Cinema Ticket
$13.15 JMD 2,078
$12.63 JMD 1,996
4.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$359 JMD 56.7K
$360 JMD 56.9K
-0.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,382 JMD 1.3M
$8,318 JMD 1.3M
0.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.75 JMD 3,752
$23.28 JMD 3,678
2.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.13 JMD 4,918
$31.45 JMD 4,969
-1.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 JMD 12.2K
$75.0 JMD 11.8K
2.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 JMD 15.9K
$104 JMD 16.5K
-3.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$975 JMD 154.0K
$937 JMD 148.0K
4.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$563 JMD 89.0K
$764 JMD 120.7K
-26.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,142 JMD 338.5K
$2,225 JMD 351.5K
-3.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,421 JMD 224.6K
$1,877 JMD 296.5K
-24.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,876 JMD 454.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,044 JMD 323.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kingston
Stony Hill
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 JMD 116.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
9
5.00%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Last update for Stony Hill: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kingston
$563
Stony Hill
$764 35.7% $201
Groceries & Markets
Kingston
$384
Stony Hill
$295 23.2% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston
$250
Stony Hill
$110 55.9% $140
Eating Out
Kingston
$221
Stony Hill
$221 0% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Kingston
$105
Stony Hill
$105 0.8% $0.8
Sport & Entertainment
Kingston
$88
Stony Hill
$101 14.2% $13
Getting Around
Kingston
$57
Stony Hill
$17 * 70.1% $40

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 $975 in Kingston and $937 in Stony Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $75.0 in Stony Hill. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $295, with Stony Hill cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Kingston
🇯🇲 Stony Hill
🕒 Local time
22:03 10:03 PM
22:03 10:03 PM
Same time as Kingston
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
660,000 Capital
8,551
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kingston Stony Hill 12 km
From you
  • Kingston
  • Stony Hill

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 Stony Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kingston or Stony Hill?
Stony Hill wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stony Hill the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kingston and in Stony Hill?
You'd need roughly $2,502 in Kingston and $2,420 in Stony Hill 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kingston compared to Stony Hill?
Rent for a central apartment: $975 in Kingston versus $937 in Stony Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Kingston or in Stony Hill?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Kingston compared to Stony Hill?
All in, you'll spend $1,668 per month in Kingston versus $1,614 in Stony Hill – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kingston or in Stony Hill?
At $1,614 in Stony Hill versus $1,668 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stony Hill but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Stony Hill the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kingston or Stony Hill?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Stony Hill gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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