Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Jamaica Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Australia vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $1,180 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,643 in Jamaica, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 204% higher than in Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Jamaica is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.93

$8.87 JMD 1,395

80.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$113

$63.0 JMD 9,912

25.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.91

$8.24 JMD 1,296

17.48%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.15

$3.59 JMD 565

-0.28%

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

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.26 JMD 199

103.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.19

$0.80 JMD 125

177.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.10

$2.44 JMD 383

159.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.98

$3.12 JMD 491

122.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$3.67 JMD 578

-57.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.63

$2.89 JMD 454

-12.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$1.61 JMD 253

24.22%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.12

$3.43 JMD 540

24.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.57

$11.20 JMD 1,762

-21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.83

$7.99 JMD 1,257

3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.33

$7.66 JMD 1,204

84.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$6.16 JMD 969

-47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$3.70 JMD 582

-24.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.31

$4.12 JMD 648

-27.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.19

$2.19 JMD 345

96.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$2.36 JMD 371

8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.07 JMD 325

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.19

$2.23 JMD 351

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.25 JMD 196

22.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.93

$9.36 JMD 1,472

234.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.24

$12.11 JMD 1,905

16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.38

$2.61 JMD 411

70.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.05

$3.16 JMD 497

55.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$0.96 JMD 151

207.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$138

$49.44 JMD 7,776

93.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.01

$0.96 JMD 151

263.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.64

$3.14 JMD 493

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$53.5

$8.07 JMD 1,269

361.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.68

$1.32 JMD 207

-11.36%

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

$28.7K A$41.3K

$41.6K JMD 6.5M

-30.97%

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

$22.5K A$32.3K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-31.34%

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

$173 A$249

$142 JMD 22.3K

22.46%

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

$26.62 A$38.23

$23.24 JMD 3,655

14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$76.2

$45.82 JMD 7,207

15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$67.3

$55.7 JMD 8,763

-15.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.53

$10.44 JMD 1,643

56.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.48

$12.34 JMD 1,941

9.89%

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

$1,571 A$2,256

$227 JMD 35.8K

591.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$3,677 JMD 578.3K

242.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$104

$26.56 JMD 4,178

171.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$74.1

$24.21 JMD 3,809

113.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

55.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$81.8 JMD 12.9K

31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,008

$667 JMD 104.9K

109.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,560

$363 JMD 57.1K

198.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,263

$1,474 JMD 231.8K

54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,515

$912 JMD 143.4K

92.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.4K

$2,683 JMD 422.0K

196.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,587

$3,062 JMD 481.5K

95.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,822

$734 JMD 115.4K

452.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

8.34

-23.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $909 in Kingston.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $752 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 506% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 79% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 406% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 201% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Jamaica, contributing to the overall 201% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Jamaica is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.