Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Alexandria, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,006 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montego Bay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montego Bay and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,169 in Montego Bay versus $1,006 in Alexandria.

Montego Bay $1,169
Alexandria $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,160 in Montego Bay versus $1,667 in Alexandria.

Montego Bay $2,160
Alexandria $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,152 in Montego Bay versus $2,327 in Alexandria.

Montego Bay $3,152
Alexandria $2,327

Living in Montego Bay is roughly 16% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montego Bay 14% lower, Alexandria 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 JMD 1,755

$13.76 JMD 2,173

-19.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

-0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 JMD 1,316

$8.41 JMD 1,328

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$5.38 JMD 850

$5.18 JMD 818

3.86%

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

$0.86 JMD 136

$1.15 JMD 182

-25.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.71 JMD 112

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 JMD 352

$2.24 JMD 355

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.13 JMD 494

2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 JMD 514

$4.21 JMD 665

-22.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 JMD 418

$3.77 JMD 596

-29.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 218

$1.55 JMD 245

-10.97%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 553

$3.48 JMD 549

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$11.33 JMD 1,789

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,004

$6.32 JMD 998

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 JMD 1,403

$10.26 JMD 1,621

-13.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 JMD 676

$6.15 JMD 972

-30.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 404

$3.80 JMD 601

-32.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.18 JMD 1,134

$7.26 JMD 1,146

-1.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 405

$2.95 JMD 467

-13.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 JMD 395

$3.33 JMD 526

-24.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 412

$2.64 JMD 416

-1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 JMD 395

$3.02 JMD 478

-17.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 JMD 127

$1.45 JMD 229

-44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 JMD 1,501

$9.67 JMD 1,527

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,812

$11.15 JMD 1,761

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 457

$2.95 JMD 465

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

$3.97 JMD 627

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 144

$1.24 JMD 196

-26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$6.22 JMD 982

1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.46 JMD 231

-4.79%

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

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

0.10%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

-0.55%

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

$167 JMD 26.3K

$170 JMD 26.8K

-1.88%

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

$22.32 JMD 3,526

$29.37 JMD 4,641

-24.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 JMD 7,426

$53.4 JMD 8,434

-11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 JMD 6,892

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 JMD 1,363

$13.09 JMD 2,068

-34.07%

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

-0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,368 JMD 1.3M

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.16 JMD 3,659

$23.63 JMD 3,734

-1.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.56 JMD 4,986

$30.87 JMD 4,877

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$101 JMD 16.0K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 JMD 34.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 JMD 93.2K

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 Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$327 28%

Alexandria

$383 38.1% 17.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$236 20.2%

Alexandria

$253 25.1% 7% $17

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$220 18.8%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$202 17.3%

Alexandria

$222 22.1% 9.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$102 8.7%

Alexandria

$105 10.4% 2.8% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$61 5.2%

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6% 57% $35

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7% 16.8% $3.5

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76 in Montego Bay vs $76 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $383 per month, with Montego Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

Same time as Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

1,927

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montego Bay Alexandria 63 km

From you

Montego Bay
Alexandria

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

Montego Bay vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,169 in Montego Bay and $1,006 in Alexandria, so Alexandria is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,753 in Montego Bay and $1,509 in Alexandria 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 $365 in Montego Bay versus $365 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,169 per month in Montego Bay versus $1,006 in Alexandria – Alexandria is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Alexandria 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.