Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,668 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Kingston $1,668
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,779 in Kingston versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Kingston $2,779
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,890 in Kingston versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Kingston $3,890
Toronto $4,761

Living in Kingston costs roughly 34% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 24% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 JMD 2,150

$17.67 CA$25.13

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 JMD 11.8K

$77.4 CA$110

-4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 JMD 1,261

$10.47 CA$14.90

-24.07%

Cappuccino

$5.47 JMD 866

$4.08 CA$5.80

34.07%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$2.12 CA$3.01

-46.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$1.76 CA$2.50

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 358

$6.17 CA$8.78

-63.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 JMD 496

$6.89 CA$9.80

-54.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.12 JMD 654

$2.43 CA$3.46

69.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 JMD 600

$2.75 CA$3.91

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 251

$2.23 CA$3.17

-28.70%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 564

$3.45 CA$4.90

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 JMD 1,778

$8.93 CA$12.71

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 JMD 1,026

$11.44 CA$16.27

-43.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,620

$14.61 CA$20.78

-30.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 JMD 933

$3.75 CA$5.33

57.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.90 JMD 619

$1.15 CA$1.63

239.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 JMD 1,163

$3.55 CA$5.05

106.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 485

$4.28 CA$6.09

-28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 511

$1.85 CA$2.62

74.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 JMD 423

$1.67 CA$2.37

59.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 JMD 483

$2.22 CA$3.15

37.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 240

$1.21 CA$1.72

24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 JMD 1,507

$13.88 CA$19.74

-31.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,793

$14.25 CA$20.27

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 JMD 447

$2.20 CA$3.12

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 JMD 649

$2.42 CA$3.44

69.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 JMD 123

$2.42 CA$3.44

-67.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.32 JMD 5,914

$111 CA$158

-66.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

$2.90 CA$4.12

-57.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 JMD 504

$1.26 CA$1.79

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 JMD 1,023

$22.03 CA$31.33

-70.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 225

$1.22 CA$1.74

16.39%

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

$44.7K JMD 7.1M

$27.6K CA$39.3K

61.64%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$19.8K CA$28.2K

65.81%

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

$122 CA$173

38.38%

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

$29.11 JMD 4,613

$32.03 CA$45.56

-9.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 JMD 8,390

$47.92 CA$68.2

10.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 JMD 9,904

$38.90 CA$55.3

60.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 JMD 2,793

$23.24 CA$33.05

-24.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.28 JMD 2,104

$12.61 CA$17.94

5.31%

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

$357 JMD 56.6K

$834 CA$1,186

-57.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,163 JMD 1.3M

$23.3K CA$33.2K

-65.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 JMD 3,780

$52.6 CA$74.8

-54.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,971

$40.26 CA$57.3

-22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 JMD 12.4K

$96.2 CA$137

-18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$123 CA$175

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 JMD 151.6K

$1,598 CA$2,273

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 JMD 91.3K

$1,435 CA$2,041

-59.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 JMD 338.9K

$2,657 CA$3,779

-19.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 JMD 220.5K

$2,096 CA$2,981

-33.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,892 JMD 458.2K

$8,033 CA$11.4K

-64.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,080 JMD 329.6K

$6,557 CA$9,327

-68.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 JMD 116.1K

$3,743 CA$5,324

-80.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.47

111.41%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 4, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$576 34.2%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 149% $858

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 22.8%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 11.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$251 14.9%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 19.5% $49

Eating Out

Kingston

$223 13.2%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 26.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$106 6.3%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 32.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 28% $25

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.4%

Toronto

$130 5% 125% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Kingston and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 411% 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: $74.0 in Kingston vs $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

23:46 11:46 PM

1 h ahead of Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

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Between locations

Kingston Toronto 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 411% lower in Toronto. 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: $957 in Kingston versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $357 in Kingston versus $834 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,668 in Kingston versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.