Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Msida versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Msida versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,800 in Msida versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in Msida is roughly 24% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Msida 38% above, Kingston 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 €10.15

$7.46 JMD 1,176

55.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$61.7 JMD 9,720

12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 €9.94

$8.58 JMD 1,352

32.63%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.96

$4.39 JMD 692

-48.75%

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

$1.76 €1.53

$1.33 JMD 209

32.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$0.74 JMD 117

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 €3.51

$2.43 JMD 383

65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$3.10 JMD 489

28.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.21

$4.33 JMD 682

-67.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.13

$3.49 JMD 551

-63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.99

$1.64 JMD 258

108.54%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.47

$3.61 JMD 568

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €8.16

$11.20 JMD 1,765

-16.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 €8.07

$6.45 JMD 1,016

43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 €12.97

$7.82 JMD 1,232

89.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 €3.75

$5.99 JMD 945

-28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.80

$2.98 JMD 470

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.86

$4.21 JMD 663

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 €3.20

$2.90 JMD 457

26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$2.02 JMD 319

26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.00 JMD 315

-32.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.07

$3.01 JMD 475

-21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.51 JMD 238

-21.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.59

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-25.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 €7.38

$11.47 JMD 1,808

-26.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.78 JMD 438

-33.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.04 JMD 480

-22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.81 JMD 128

153.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.31 €26.48

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-38.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €5.01

$1.09 JMD 171

426.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 €3.67

$3.22 JMD 507

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.69 €43.41

$6.34 JMD 999

683.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.24 JMD 196

28.23%

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

$39.5K €34.5K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-9.07%

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

$37.4K €32.7K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

9.68%

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

$87.1 €76.1

$161 JMD 25.3K

-45.86%

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

$27.95 €24.42

$22.24 JMD 3,504

25.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.12 €28.07

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-38.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.36 €35.26

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.93 €20.04

$15.91 JMD 2,508

44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €9.03

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-22.80%

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

$753 €658

$222 JMD 35.0K

238.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,853

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

345.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 €79.2

$25.81 JMD 4,068

250.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.07 €33.26

$25.49 JMD 4,017

49.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.8

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

46.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €89.7

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 €933

$880 JMD 138.6K

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 €810

$451 JMD 71.2K

105.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,754

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

0.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 €1,376

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

32.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,801 €2,448

$732 JMD 115.4K

282.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

9.15

-44.48%

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

Last update for Msida: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,068 in Msida and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msida pays 283% 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: $70.0 in Msida vs $62.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $351, with Msida 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

Msida vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Msida. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 283% higher in Msida, 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: $1,068 in Msida versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $753 in Msida versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Msida pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,842 in Msida, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Msida. 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.

Safety-wise, Msida and Kingston are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Msida. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.