Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,624 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,626 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,627 in San Miguel de Allende versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Miguel de Allende 22% above, Kingston 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.53 MX$185

$7.46 JMD 1,176

41.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.83 MX$838

$61.7 JMD 9,720

-22.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 MX$139

$8.58 JMD 1,352

-7.23%

Cappuccino

$3.56 MX$62.4

$4.39 JMD 692

-18.91%

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

$1.38 MX$24.15

$1.33 JMD 209

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.17

$0.74 JMD 117

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$50.2

$2.43 JMD 383

17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 MX$88.5

$3.10 JMD 489

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.65

$4.33 JMD 682

-68.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 MX$66.9

$3.49 JMD 551

9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.83

$1.64 JMD 258

14.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.48

$3.61 JMD 568

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 MX$142

$11.20 JMD 1,765

-27.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 MX$249

$6.45 JMD 1,016

120.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.30 MX$303

$7.82 JMD 1,232

121.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 MX$73.7

$5.99 JMD 945

-29.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.79

$2.98 JMD 470

-44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 MX$54.8

$4.21 JMD 663

-25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 MX$47.18

$2.90 JMD 457

-7.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$43.16

$2.02 JMD 319

21.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 MX$52.9

$2.00 JMD 315

51.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.52

$3.01 JMD 475

-47.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.91

$1.51 JMD 238

-13.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 MX$300

$11.47 JMD 1,808

49.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 MX$40.26

$2.78 JMD 438

-17.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 MX$66.8

$3.04 JMD 480

25.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MX$7.03

$0.81 JMD 128

-50.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.41 MX$112

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-86.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MX$75.8

$1.09 JMD 171

297.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

$3.22 JMD 507

-90.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 MX$138

$6.34 JMD 999

24.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.92

$1.24 JMD 196

5.65%

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

$18.1K MX$317.2K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-58.35%

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

$21.7K MX$379.6K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-36.47%

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

$57.5 MX$1,007

$161 JMD 25.3K

-64.27%

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

$21.19 MX$371

$22.24 JMD 3,504

-4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.21 MX$617

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.32 MX$829

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-31.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.63 MX$695

$15.91 JMD 2,508

149.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 MX$123

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-47.53%

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

$345 MX$6,045

$222 JMD 35.0K

55.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,759 MX$83.4K

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

87.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 MX$1,111

$25.81 JMD 4,068

145.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 MX$1,019

$25.49 JMD 4,017

128.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

53.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 MX$2,478

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

88.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 MX$19.4K

$880 JMD 138.6K

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.7K

$451 JMD 71.2K

60.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 MX$43.9K

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 MX$26.4K

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

26.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,879 MX$50.5K

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

0.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,658 MX$29.1K

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

-22.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 MX$11.1K

$732 JMD 115.4K

-13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

9.15

33.01%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in San Miguel de Allende and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $62.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $351, with Kingston 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

San Miguel de Allende vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in San Miguel de Allende. 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 15% lower in Kingston. 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: $1,109 in San Miguel de Allende versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in San Miguel de Allende versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in San Miguel de Allende. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,624 in San Miguel de Allende, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in San Miguel de Allende. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Miguel de Allende 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 10% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.