Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Jamaica and Alexandria, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,006 a month against $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Cruz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz and in Alexandria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Santa Cruz versus $1,006 in Alexandria.

Santa Cruz $1,285
Alexandria $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Santa Cruz versus $1,667 in Alexandria.

Santa Cruz $1,988
Alexandria $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Santa Cruz versus $2,327 in Alexandria.

Santa Cruz $2,690
Alexandria $2,327

Living in Santa Cruz is roughly 28% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 6% lower, Alexandria 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 JMD 1,163

$13.76 JMD 2,169

-46.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

-16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$8.41 JMD 1,326

-23.31%

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 842

$5.18 JMD 816

3.09%

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

$1.16 JMD 182

$1.15 JMD 182

0.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

$0.71 JMD 112

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.24 JMD 354

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.13 JMD 493

-1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 638

$4.21 JMD 664

-4.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 406

$3.77 JMD 595

-31.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.55 JMD 245

1.29%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 548

$3.48 JMD 548

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,787

$11.33 JMD 1,786

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 JMD 1,010

$6.32 JMD 997

1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 JMD 1,641

$10.26 JMD 1,618

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 JMD 941

$6.15 JMD 970

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 604

$3.80 JMD 600

0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.43 JMD 1,171

$7.26 JMD 1,144

2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 474

$2.95 JMD 466

2.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 523

$3.33 JMD 525

-0.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$3.02 JMD 477

-0.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$1.45 JMD 228

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 JMD 1,494

$9.67 JMD 1,524

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,818

$11.15 JMD 1,758

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 456

$2.95 JMD 464

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 632

$3.97 JMD 626

1.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

$1.24 JMD 195

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 492

$3.17 JMD 500

-1.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 966

$6.22 JMD 980

-1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.46 JMD 231

-4.79%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

2.28%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

-1.83%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$170 JMD 26.8K

-2.20%

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

$29.57 JMD 4,664

$29.37 JMD 4,632

0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,165

$53.4 JMD 8,418

-3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,055

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,119

$13.09 JMD 2,064

2.67%

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

$359 JMD 56.6K

$365 JMD 57.5K

-1.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

$8,251 JMD 1.3M

-1.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.66 JMD 3,731

$23.63 JMD 3,727

0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 JMD 5,022

$30.87 JMD 4,867

3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 15.9K

$101 JMD 16.0K

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 JMD 49.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.3K

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 Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9%

Alexandria

$383 38.1% 3.2% $12

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3%

Alexandria

$253 25.1% 2.1% $5.1

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$168 13%

Alexandria

$222 22.1% 32.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2%

Alexandria

$105 10.4% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1%

Alexandria

$26 * 2.6% 59.9% $39

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7% 1.2% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64 in Santa Cruz vs $76 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $383 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,217

1,927

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Cruz Alexandria 46 km

From you

Santa Cruz
Alexandria

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

Santa Cruz vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz and Alexandria differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $1,006 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,928 in Santa Cruz and $1,509 in Alexandria 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.

Childcare runs $359 in Santa Cruz versus $365 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz – a meal for two runs $64 versus $76 in Alexandria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Alexandria gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.