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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,182 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $1,646 in Jamaica, rent included.

Australia costs about 205% more than Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Jamaica is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.33

$8.75 JMD 1,379

87.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$111

$63.1 JMD 9,940

23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.11

$8.06 JMD 1,270

23.33%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.10

$3.79 JMD 598

-5.01%

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

$2.68 A$3.80

$1.22 JMD 192

119.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.75 JMD 119

185.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.26

$2.55 JMD 402

156.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.00

$3.09 JMD 487

128.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.24

$3.64 JMD 574

-56.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.96 JMD 467

-14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.94

$1.54 JMD 242

34.42%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.11

$3.36 JMD 530

27.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.81

$11.06 JMD 1,743

-18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.13

$7.71 JMD 1,216

10.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.80

$7.72 JMD 1,216

80.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.51

$6.12 JMD 965

-48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$3.57 JMD 563

-20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.18

$4.12 JMD 649

-28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.29

$2.18 JMD 343

103.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.48

$2.34 JMD 369

5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$2.12 JMD 334

2.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.25

$2.24 JMD 353

2.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.25 JMD 197

25.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.79

$9.35 JMD 1,473

230.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.94

$12.49 JMD 1,968

12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.45

$2.55 JMD 401

78.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.83

$3.03 JMD 477

58.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.07

$0.97 JMD 153

195.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$136

$48.74 JMD 7,681

96.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.17

$0.91 JMD 143

301.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$3.10 JMD 489

-43.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.3

$8.20 JMD 1,292

366.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.33 JMD 210

-13.53%

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

$28.4K A$40.3K

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

-32.42%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-28.62%

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

$178 A$253

$139 JMD 21.8K

28.46%

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

$26.46 A$37.53

$22.71 JMD 3,578

16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.8

$46.34 JMD 7,303

16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$66.2

$57.3 JMD 9,033

-18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.47

$10.39 JMD 1,638

59.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.36

$12.63 JMD 1,991

8.08%

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

$1,575 A$2,234

$221 JMD 34.9K

611.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.0K

$3,588 JMD 565.4K

253.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$26.05 JMD 4,105

174.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$72.1

$23.62 JMD 3,722

115.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

53.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,963

$670 JMD 105.5K

106.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,568

$353 JMD 55.6K

213.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,260

$1,475 JMD 232.5K

55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,451

$895 JMD 141.0K

93.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$2,708 JMD 426.8K

180.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,808

$3,092 JMD 487.3K

77.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,677

$754 JMD 118.9K

430.56%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $886 in Kingston.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $750 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 507% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 79% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 413% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 205% 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 205% 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.