Travel Budget for Kingston Visit Kingston on a Budget or Travel in Style

Kingston, Parish of Saint Andrew, Jamaica

How much does it cost to travel to Kingston?

You should plan to spend around $108 (J$16,805) per day on your vacation in Kingston. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $26 (J$4,099) on meals
  • $29 (J$4,572) on local transportation
  • $128 (J$19,858) on hotels

A one week trip to Kingston for two people costs, on average, $1,513 (J$235,271). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $108
    J$16,805
  • One Week Per person
    $757
    J$117,636
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $1,513
    J$235,271
  • One Month Per person
    $3,243
    J$504,152
  • One Week For a couple
    $1,513
    J$235,271
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $3,027
    J$470,542
  • One Month For a couple
    $6,485
    J$1,008,305
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Kingston cost?

A one week trip to Kingston usually costs around $757 (J$117,636) for one person and $1,513 (J$235,271) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Kingston on average costs around $1,513 (J$235,271) for one person and $3,027 (J$470,542) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Kingston will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Kingston on average costs around $3,243 (J$504,152) for one person and $6,485 (J$1,008,305) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Kingston has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Kingston expensive to visit?

Prices in Kingston are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within the Caribbean Islands, which is known to be an expensive region, Kingston is a reasonably affordable destination compared to other places. It is in the top 25% of cities in the Caribbean Islands for its affordability. You can find more affordable cities such as Port-au-Prince, but there are also more expensive cities, such as Eagle Beach.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Kingston Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Kingston?

The average Kingston trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Kingston travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) J$19,858 ($128)
Local Transportation 1 J$4,572 ($29)
Food 2 J$4,099 ($26)
Entertainment 1 J$1,964 ($13)
Alcohol 2 J$857 - 2,571 ($6 - 17)
Accommodation Budget in Kingston
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Kingston is $64 (J$9,929). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Kingston is $128 (J$19,858). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $64
    J$9,929
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $128
    J$19,858

Hotel Prices in Kingston

Looking for a hotel in Kingston? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Kingston based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $128. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Kingston
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Kingston is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $29 (J$4,572) per person, per day, on local transportation in Kingston.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $29
    J$4,572

Recommended Services


Flights to Kingston
How much does it cost to go to Kingston? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Kingston
The price of renting a car in Kingston will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Kingston
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Kingston can vary, the average cost of food in Kingston is $26 (J$4,099) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Kingston should cost around $11 (J$1,640) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Kingston is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $26
    J$4,099


Entertainment Budget in Kingston
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Kingston typically cost an average of $13 (J$1,964) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $13
    J$1,964

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Kingston
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $11 (J$1,714) on alcoholic beverages in Kingston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $11
    J$1,714

Recommended


Kingston On a Budget
Kingston Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.
Sights
If you are traveling to Jamaica, it is possible that you have at least some interest in the famous reggae singer Bob Marley. There is a museum dedicated to him in Kingston that is definitely worth visiting. The museum itself is actually the former home of Mr. Marley, as well as one of his recording studios. In it, you will find some of the singer's personal belongings and can even see the bullet holes that are still in the walls of his house from his attempted murder. The tour is about one hour long and the museum is open from 9:30 – 4:00.

Port Royal is another sight to see while visiting Kingston. It is a city located in the Kingston Harbor and is notoriously famous for being a haven for pirates in the 17th century. Unfortunately, an earthquake destroyed a lot of this city in 1692, but some of the original buildings still remain like Saint Peter's Church, Fort Rocky, and Fort Charles.

The Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston are the largest ones in all of the Caribbean and entry is free. The Devon House is a great place to see as it depicts classic Jamaican architecture. It is a mansion that was built by George Stiebel and the interior has 19th century style. You can have a tour of the mansion for a pretty affordable price, but visiting the garden and shops is free.
Neighborhoods
There are basically two neighborhoods of Kingston: downtown and uptown. Downtown is where you will find historic buildings as well as banks, courts, and other municipal buildings. There are many street markets as well. Uptown, or ‘New Kingston', is where you will find nice hotels and restaurants. This is where you will find the Bob Marley Museum and the Devon House.

Activities
You can take a boat from Port Royal out to Lime Cay. It is an island off the coast and has beautiful beaches. During the weekend, this is a great place to go if you are looking to find a party, and during the week it is much quieter. If you do intend on staying for the party scene, you can camp overnight on the island!

Emancipation Park in uptown is a serene park with vast amounts of greenery and sunshine. It is a popular venue for concerts and there are even some free shows during the summer and around Christmas time. You can play mini golf in Kingston at a place called Putt and Play. There are also pool tables here if you are looking for that sort of gaming activity.
Food and Dining
'Jerk' is a word that you will see on almost every menu in Kingston. It is a common style of cooking in Jamaica. Basically different types of meat (or vegetables) are marinated in a hot mixture of spices before being cooked. It is a must try while in Kingston. There are tons of jerk pans on the street so there is no reason not to try the native flavors of Jamaica!

The national dish of Jamaica is Ackee and Saltfish. Ackee is a type of fruit, and saltfish refers to Codfish. The fish is boiled with the ackee and served with rice and peas.

The Devon House has a famous ice cream shop so make sure to grab a treat while visiting the mansion!

For those of you who don't eat meat, try the Hope Gardens Vegetarian Restaurant located in the middle of the gardens. They have tasty vegetarian dishes and an array of juices. The setting is also very nice, as it is in the botanical gardens.

Of course, if you are trying the native food of Jamaica you must also try the native drinks! Red Stripe is a Jamaican beer that is very refreshing after a long day of exploring around Kingston. Appleton Run is also common in Kingston.


Transportation
To get to Kingston, you will probably fly into Norman Manley International Airport. It is in the southeastern part of the island. From there you can travel by car, bus, or taxi. Renting a car requires a fair amount of bravery, as the streets are pretty crowded and chaotic. However, it is a good way to get around especially if you plan on heading into the countryside at any point. The bus system in Kingston is newly renovated and can get you all around the city. It is called the Jamaica Urban Transit Company and timetables can be found on their website. Taxi's are also a great way of getting around, keep in mind that official taxis have red license plates that begin with the letters PPV.


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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.