Kingston at a glance
- Kingston is the most expensive of Jamaica's 4 priced cities: $2,012 a month in essentials, 128% above Ocho Rios at $882.
- The average net salary of $3,047 covers that 1.5×.
- 89.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at parish level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.5 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Jamaica cities we track, so every row says whether Kingston is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,012 | $920 | 2.19× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,239 | $220 | 5.63× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,575 | $346 | 4.55× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $200 | $190 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $326 | $264 | $62 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $189 | $216 | $28 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $58 | $44 | 1.32× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,047 | $1,285 | 2.37× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,591 | $945 | 1.68× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,376 | $945 | 2.51× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kingston, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $15.20 | $10.63 | 1.43× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $65.15 | $64.07 | $1.08 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.58 | $8.82 | 1.31× as much |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.53 | $4.42 | 1.25× as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.97 | $2.20 | 2.71× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $6.33 | $3.15 | 2.01× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.13 | $1.08 | 1.97× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.36 | $0.71 | 1.92× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.08 | $3.20 | 1.54× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.53 | $2.71 | $0.18 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.34 | $1.50 | 2.22× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.03 | $3.54 | $0.51 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.75 | $11.41 | $0.66 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.45 | $6.30 | 1.82× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.04 | $5.11 | 1.68× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.17 | $2.83 | 2.42× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.72 | $2.78 | 1.34× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.31 | $3.24 | $0.07 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.35 | $2.58 | $0.23 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.67 | $1.34 | $0.33 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.53 | $1.72 | 1.48× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $57.91 | ||
| Taxi start | $3.26 | $1.07 | 3.05× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.54 | $3.15 | 2.05× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.09 | $1.29 | $0.20 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $122.88 | $166.14 | 1.35× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $66.36 | $52.82 | 1.26× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $39.36 | $25.88 | 1.52× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $29.50 | $44.09 | 1.49× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.86 | $11.10 | $0.24 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kingston has 89.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (parish level). That is the 3rd-highest of 4 Jamaica cities we track. Jamaica's national figure is 103.1, so Kingston runs 13 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kingston ranks against every city we track
Kingston sits ahead of 92% of the 1074 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On local salary it is ahead of 86% of 995. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 5% of 1022.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kingston sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Kingston on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Kingston beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Kingston in the research deskOr unlock the Jamaica deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: NASA Astronauts, Public domain.
Data updated