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: $1,732 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,707 in San Miguel de Allende versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Miguel de Allende 26% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 MX$274

$15.95 JMD 2,513

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.82 MX$762

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-39.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$188

$8.81 JMD 1,388

25.43%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$69.3

$5.22 JMD 823

-21.84%

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

$1.79 MX$30.44

$1.19 JMD 188

50.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.14

$0.69 JMD 109

63.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 MX$65.2

$2.19 JMD 345

74.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 MX$108

$3.08 JMD 486

105.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.32

$4.06 JMD 639

-60.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 MX$59.7

$3.74 JMD 589

-6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.87

$1.66 JMD 261

19.88%

Eggs

$3.23 MX$54.9

$3.61 JMD 570

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 MX$152

$11.58 JMD 1,826

-22.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 MX$225

$6.19 JMD 975

113.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.51 MX$331

$10.12 JMD 1,595

92.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 MX$73.5

$6.12 JMD 964

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.16

$3.99 JMD 629

-56.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 MX$52.9

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-58.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 MX$50.7

$3.11 JMD 491

-4.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.48

$3.23 JMD 510

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 MX$58.7

$2.64 JMD 416

30.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$20.81

$3.01 JMD 474

-59.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.61

$1.46 JMD 231

-4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$78.0

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.37 MX$295

$11.32 JMD 1,785

53.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$45.31

$2.78 JMD 439

-3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$68.7

$3.96 JMD 625

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.81 JMD 128

-28.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.94 MX$118

$38.60 JMD 6,082

-82.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 MX$82.3

$1.23 JMD 193

293.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$3.14 JMD 496

53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$204

$6.15 JMD 970

94.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.97

$1.36 JMD 215

12.50%

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

$23.1K MX$392.1K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-47.18%

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

$25.6K MX$434.4K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-21.10%

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

$45.17 MX$768

$172 JMD 27.1K

-73.72%

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

$17.58 MX$299

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.31 MX$753

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-15.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.03 MX$663

$62.6 JMD 9,862

-37.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.37 MX$771

$17.94 JMD 2,827

152.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-46.74%

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

$381 MX$6,467

$367 JMD 57.8K

3.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,397 MX$91.7K

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

-34.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 MX$1,197

$23.88 JMD 3,764

195.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 MX$1,102

$31.86 JMD 5,020

103.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,076

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

54.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 MX$2,698

$102 JMD 16.1K

55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 MX$19.3K

$972 JMD 153.2K

17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.0K

$563 JMD 88.7K

25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 MX$41.9K

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.2K

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

-0.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,966 MX$50.4K

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

2.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,727 MX$29.4K

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

-15.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$11.3K

$757 JMD 119.3K

-12.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.05

9.45

27.51%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,137 in San Miguel de Allende and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $384 per month, with San Miguel de Allende cheaper across the board.

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 3% 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 14% 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: $1,137 in San Miguel de Allende versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $381 in San Miguel de Allende versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Miguel de Allende pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,732 in San Miguel de Allende, a $2,000 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 $1,684 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 3% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.