Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Ann's Bay and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Ann’s Bay: $1,006 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Saint Ann's Bay
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,006
/mo nomad
Kingston
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Ann's Bay 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 Saint Ann's Bay and in Kingston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay versus $1,677 in Kingston.

  • Saint Ann's Bay $1,006
  • Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Saint Ann’s Bay versus $2,829 in Kingston.

  • Saint Ann's Bay $1,600
  • Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,195 in Saint Ann’s Bay versus $3,980 in Kingston.

  • Saint Ann's Bay $2,195
  • Kingston $3,980

Living in Saint Ann’s Bay costs roughly 40% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Ann’s Bay is 26% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.35 JMD 2,105
$13.80 JMD 2,175
-3.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.2 JMD 7,922
$75.1 JMD 11.8K
-33.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.31 JMD 1,311
$8.31 JMD 1,310
-
Cappuccino
$5.46 JMD 862
$5.36 JMD 846
1.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 JMD 190
$1.19 JMD 188
0.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 JMD 110
$0.74 JMD 116
-5.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 JMD 354
$2.26 JMD 357
-0.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 JMD 492
$3.23 JMD 510
-3.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.07 JMD 641
$4.23 JMD 667
-3.78%
White Bread (500g)
$3.74 JMD 589
$3.86 JMD 609
-3.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 JMD 258
$1.64 JMD 258
-0.61%
Eggs
$3.47 JMD 547
$3.59 JMD 565
-3.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.20 JMD 1,766
$11.55 JMD 1,821
-3.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.20 JMD 978
$6.23 JMD 983
-0.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.09 JMD 1,591
$10.22 JMD 1,612
-1.27%
Apples (1kg)
$6.00 JMD 946
$6.07 JMD 957
-1.15%
Banana (1kg)
$3.99 JMD 629
$3.87 JMD 610
3.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.53 JMD 1,187
$7.25 JMD 1,144
3.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 JMD 469
$3.10 JMD 488
-3.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.28 JMD 518
$3.18 JMD 501
3.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 JMD 414
$2.68 JMD 422
-2.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.15 JMD 497
$3.10 JMD 488
1.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 JMD 226
$1.43 JMD 226
0.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.30 JMD 1,467
$9.33 JMD 1,471
-0.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.43 JMD 1,802
$11.26 JMD 1,775
1.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.95 JMD 464
$2.77 JMD 438
6.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03 JMD 636
$4.04 JMD 637
-0.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
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)
$1.30 JMD 204
$1.28 JMD 202
1.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.17 JMD 501
$3.22 JMD 508
-1.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.44 JMD 1,016
$6.37 JMD 1,004
1.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 JMD 205
$1.42 JMD 223
-8.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.4K JMD 6.8M
$44.0K JMD 6.9M
-1.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K JMD 5.2M
$32.8K JMD 5.2M
-0.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$169 JMD 26.6K
$170 JMD 26.7K
-0.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.03 JMD 4,577
$29.16 JMD 4,599
-0.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.9 JMD 8,346
$53.8 JMD 8,480
-1.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$61.7 JMD 9,723
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.76 JMD 2,801
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.41 JMD 2,114
$13.46 JMD 2,123
-0.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$366 JMD 57.7K
$363 JMD 57.3K
0.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,305 JMD 1.3M
$8,388 JMD 1.3M
-0.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.59 JMD 3,719
$23.39 JMD 3,688
0.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.44 JMD 4,957
$31.37 JMD 4,946
0.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 JMD 12.4K
$77.3 JMD 12.2K
1.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 JMD 16.0K
$102 JMD 16.1K
-0.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$958 JMD 151.0K
-
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
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Ann's Bay
Kingston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$750 JMD 118.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
9.45
-

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

Last update for Saint Ann's Bay: 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
Saint Ann's Bay
$383
Kingston
$385 0.6% $2.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Ann's Bay
$251
Kingston
$252 0.7% $1.7
Eating Out
Saint Ann's Bay
$222
Kingston
$225 1.2% $2.8
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Ann's Bay
$106
Kingston
$105 0.4% $0.4
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Ann's Bay
$27 *
Kingston
$89 230% $62
Getting Around
Saint Ann's Bay
$17 *
Kingston
$58 237% $41
Accommodation & Living
Saint Ann's Bay
- *
Kingston
$562

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50 in Saint Ann’s Bay vs $75 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $385 per month, with Saint Ann’s Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Saint Ann's Bay
🇯🇲 Kingston
🕒 Local time
06:07 6:07 AM
06:07 6:07 AM
Same time as Saint Ann's Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,671
660,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Ann's Bay Kingston 67 km
From you
  • Saint Ann's Bay
  • Kingston

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
Saint Ann's Bay vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Saint Ann’s Bay or Kingston?
Saint Ann’s Bay wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saint Ann’s Bay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Saint Ann’s Bay and in Kingston?
You’d need roughly $1,508 in Saint Ann’s Bay 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.
How much does it cost to live in Saint Ann’s Bay compared to Kingston?
All in, you’ll spend $1,006 per month in Saint Ann’s Bay versus $1,677 in Kingston – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do dining costs compare in Saint Ann’s Bay and in Kingston?
Dining out is cheaper in Saint Ann’s Bay – a meal for two runs $50 versus $75 in Kingston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Saint Ann’s Bay or in Kingston?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Saint Ann’s Bay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Saint Ann’s Bay or Kingston?
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.

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