Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Negril: $927 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Negril
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Negril Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Negril

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$927

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Negril and in Kingston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Negril versus $1,677 in Kingston.

Negril $927
Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,478 in Negril versus $2,829 in Kingston.

Negril $1,478
Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Negril versus $3,980 in Kingston.

Negril $2,029
Kingston $3,980

Living in Negril costs roughly 45% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Negril is 32% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 JMD 1,526

$13.80 JMD 2,175

-29.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.26 JMD 7,767

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

-34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 JMD 1,269

$8.31 JMD 1,310

-3.13%

Cappuccino

$2.05 JMD 323

$5.36 JMD 846

-61.75%

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

$1.15 JMD 181

$1.19 JMD 188

-3.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.74 JMD 116

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

$2.26 JMD 357

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 JMD 503

$3.23 JMD 510

-1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.02 JMD 634

$4.23 JMD 667

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.86 JMD 609

-12.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 JMD 249

$1.64 JMD 258

-3.66%

Eggs

$3.51 JMD 554

$3.59 JMD 565

-2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 JMD 1,773

$11.55 JMD 1,821

-2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$6.23 JMD 983

1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 JMD 1,606

$10.22 JMD 1,612

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 956

$6.07 JMD 957

-0.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.96 JMD 624

$3.87 JMD 610

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.47 JMD 1,177

$7.25 JMD 1,144

3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 471

$3.10 JMD 488

-3.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 JMD 497

$3.18 JMD 501

-0.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 JMD 406

$2.68 JMD 422

-3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 472

$3.10 JMD 488

-3.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$1.43 JMD 226

0.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,471

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 JMD 1,776

$11.26 JMD 1,775

0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 JMD 460

$2.77 JMD 438

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 JMD 622

$4.04 JMD 637

-2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 96.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.10 JMD 6,008

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 193

$1.28 JMD 202

-4.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 509

$3.22 JMD 508

0.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 JMD 1,002

$6.37 JMD 1,004

-0.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.42 JMD 223

3.52%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-0.55%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-0.46%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$170 JMD 26.7K

-1.92%

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

$29.95 JMD 4,722

$29.16 JMD 4,599

2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 JMD 8,179

$53.8 JMD 8,480

-3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 JMD 9,723

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,801

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,090

$13.46 JMD 2,123

-1.49%

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

$362 JMD 57.0K

$363 JMD 57.3K

-0.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,121 JMD 1.3M

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

-3.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,745

$23.39 JMD 3,688

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 JMD 4,873

$31.37 JMD 4,946

-1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.1K

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

-0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.4K

$102 JMD 16.1K

1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 JMD 158.5K

$958 JMD 151.0K

4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 JMD 88.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 JMD 331.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 JMD 224.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,849 JMD 449.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 JMD 326.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 JMD 118.3K

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 Negril: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negril

$378 40.8%

Kingston

$385 23% 1.9% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negril

$248 26.8%

Kingston

$252 15.1% 1.8% $4.4

Eating Out

Negril

$151 16.3%

Kingston

$225 13.4% 49.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Negril

$106 11.4%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Negril

$27 * 2.9%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 234% $62

Getting Around

Negril

$17 * 1.9%

Kingston

$58 3.5% 234% $41

Accommodation & Living

Negril

- * 0%

Kingston

$562 33.5%

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 $1,005 in Negril and $958 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Negril vs $75 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $385 per month, with Negril cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Negril

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

Same time as Negril

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,779

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Negril vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negril wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Negril the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,390 in Negril and $2,515 in Kingston 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Negril versus $958 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $927 per month in Negril versus $1,677 in Kingston – Negril is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Negril – a meal for two runs $49 versus $75 in Kingston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $927 in Negril versus $1,677 in Kingston, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Negril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.