Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,285 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Santa Cruz versus $1,677 in Kingston.

Santa Cruz $1,285
Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Santa Cruz versus $2,829 in Kingston.

Santa Cruz $1,988
Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Santa Cruz versus $3,980 in Kingston.

Santa Cruz $2,690
Kingston $3,980

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 23% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 6% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 JMD 1,165

$13.80 JMD 2,180

-46.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

$75.1 JMD 11.9K

-15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 JMD 1,018

$8.31 JMD 1,312

-22.38%

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 844

$5.36 JMD 847

-0.37%

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

$1.16 JMD 183

$1.19 JMD 188

-2.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

$0.74 JMD 117

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.26 JMD 358

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$3.23 JMD 511

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 639

$4.23 JMD 668

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 407

$3.86 JMD 610

-33.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.64 JMD 259

-4.27%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 549

$3.59 JMD 567

-3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,790

$11.55 JMD 1,824

-1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 JMD 1,012

$6.23 JMD 985

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 JMD 1,644

$10.22 JMD 1,615

1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 JMD 943

$6.07 JMD 958

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 605

$3.87 JMD 612

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.43 JMD 1,173

$7.25 JMD 1,146

2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 475

$3.10 JMD 489

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 524

$3.18 JMD 502

4.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 417

$2.68 JMD 423

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 476

$3.10 JMD 489

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 230

$1.43 JMD 227

1.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 JMD 1,497

$9.33 JMD 1,474

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,821

$11.26 JMD 1,779

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 457

$2.77 JMD 438

4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 633

$4.04 JMD 639

-0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 JMD 96.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.10 JMD 6,019

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

$1.28 JMD 203

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 493

$3.22 JMD 509

-3.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 968

$6.37 JMD 1,006

-3.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.42 JMD 224

-2.11%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

2.04%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-0.65%

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

$166 JMD 26.3K

$170 JMD 26.8K

-2.00%

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

$29.57 JMD 4,673

$29.16 JMD 4,608

1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,181

$53.8 JMD 8,496

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,067

$61.7 JMD 9,742

-37.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 JMD 2,806

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,123

$13.46 JMD 2,127

-0.15%

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

$363 JMD 57.4K

-1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

-3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.66 JMD 3,738

$23.39 JMD 3,695

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 JMD 5,032

$31.37 JMD 4,956

1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.4K

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 15.9K

$102 JMD 16.1K

-0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 JMD 151.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 JMD 49.1K

$562 JMD 88.8K

-44.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 JMD 331.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.9K

$1,422 JMD 224.7K

-64.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,849 JMD 450.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 JMD 327.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.5K

$750 JMD 118.5K

-45.59%

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 Kingston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9%

Kingston

$385 23% 3.7% $14

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

Kingston

$562 33.5% 80.8% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3%

Kingston

$252 15.1% 2% $5

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$168 13%

Kingston

$225 13.4% 34.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 35.7% $23

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3%

Kingston

$58 3.5% 243% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Kingston pays 84% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Santa Cruz vs $75 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $385 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,217

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Santa Cruz. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,285 per month in Santa Cruz versus $1,677 in Kingston – Santa Cruz is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,285 in Santa Cruz versus $1,677 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Cruz wins on affordability, Kingston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.