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: $1,660 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,670 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,679 in San Miguel de Allende versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 14% more expensive than Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Miguel de Allende 24% above, Kingston 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$186

$7.61 JMD 1,192

41.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.51 MX$822

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-23.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$8.80 JMD 1,379

-9.20%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$62.6

$4.36 JMD 682

-16.97%

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

$1.33 MX$22.93

$1.32 JMD 207

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.77

$0.74 JMD 117

39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$49.46

$2.57 JMD 403

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MX$87.8

$3.20 JMD 501

58.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.41

$4.36 JMD 684

-69.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 MX$67.1

$3.66 JMD 573

6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.99

$1.57 JMD 246

17.83%

Eggs

$2.56 MX$44.27

$3.47 JMD 543

-26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MX$138

$11.19 JMD 1,754

-28.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 MX$243

$6.42 JMD 1,007

118.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 MX$310

$7.82 JMD 1,225

129.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.96 JMD 933

-29.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.77

$3.13 JMD 491

-45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$4.30 JMD 673

-27.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.88

$2.96 JMD 464

-6.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$42.62

$2.03 JMD 317

21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.01 JMD 315

55.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$28.17

$3.12 JMD 489

-47.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.75

$1.45 JMD 227

-13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.8

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-53.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 MX$298

$11.29 JMD 1,769

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MX$41.88

$2.90 JMD 454

-16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.1

$3.20 JMD 502

12.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MX$7.06

$0.89 JMD 140

-53.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.30 MX$109

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-87.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MX$74.1

$1.12 JMD 176

283.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.21

$3.15 JMD 494

-90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MX$138

$6.19 JMD 971

28.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.52

$1.28 JMD 201

1.56%

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

$18.3K MX$316.3K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-57.66%

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

$21.3K MX$368.9K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-36.84%

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

$58.8 MX$1,016

$163 JMD 25.5K

-63.92%

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

$21.58 MX$373

$22.49 JMD 3,523

-4.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.20 MX$592

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-32.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 MX$810

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.84 MX$689

$15.50 JMD 2,428

157.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 MX$120

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-46.28%

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

$341 MX$5,897

$222 JMD 34.8K

53.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 MX$83.8K

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

97.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MX$1,083

$25.73 JMD 4,032

143.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 MX$988

$25.24 JMD 3,955

126.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,921

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

53.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 MX$2,455

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

87.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$19.1K

$880 JMD 137.9K

25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 MX$12.6K

$451 JMD 70.7K

61.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 MX$43.9K

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 MX$27.1K

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

30.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 MX$50.0K

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

0.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 MX$29.7K

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

-21.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MX$11.4K

$732 JMD 114.7K

-9.60%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,105 in San Miguel de Allende and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 11% 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 $365 vs $353, 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 14% 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, Kingston earns 11% less. 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: $1,105 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 $341 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 $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,660 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 $1,451 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 14% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.