Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,472 in Jamaica, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Jamaica
Learn more

Jamaica Living Index

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🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Jamaica

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brazil and in Jamaica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,472 in Jamaica, rent included.

Brazil $865
Jamaica $1,472

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $2,514 in Jamaica, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
Jamaica $2,514

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $3,557 in Jamaica, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
Jamaica $3,557

The regional cost range is wider in Jamaica ($8–$1,677) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 41% lower than in Jamaica on average.

Brazil sits 36% below the global median, while Jamaica is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.66

$10.97 JMD 1,732

-40.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$167

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

-59.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$40.55

$8.37 JMD 1,323

-10.99%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.39

$4.57 JMD 721

-58.21%

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

$1.15 R$6.28

$1.26 JMD 200

-8.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.11

$0.72 JMD 114

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$10.06

$2.19 JMD 345

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.54

$3.74 JMD 590

-23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.61

$3.87 JMD 611

-73.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.52

$3.25 JMD 514

-51.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.72

$1.64 JMD 259

-24.39%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.44

$3.98 JMD 629

-47.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$48.24

$11.80 JMD 1,864

-24.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.72

$8.16 JMD 1,289

-51.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$42.19

$8.84 JMD 1,397

-12.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.72

$6.67 JMD 1,053

-67.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$3.62 JMD 572

-64.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.28

$5.03 JMD 794

-76.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.32

$2.58 JMD 408

-40.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.32

$2.77 JMD 438

-58.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.55

$2.57 JMD 406

-60.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.04

$2.62 JMD 414

-71.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.90

$1.36 JMD 216

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.26

$10.60 JMD 1,674

-78.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$41.62

$12.19 JMD 1,926

-37.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.09

$2.77 JMD 438

-53.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.77

$3.27 JMD 517

-33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.12

$0.60 JMD 95.3

56.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$239

$37.31 JMD 5,895

17.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.68

$0.90 JMD 143

36.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.20

$3.19 JMD 504

-69.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$40.36

$7.04 JMD 1,112

5.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.36 JMD 215

-11.03%

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

$22.1K R$120.5K

$41.1K JMD 6.5M

-46.06%

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

$31.6K R$171.7K

$29.2K JMD 4.6M

8.26%

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

$77.2 R$420

$151 JMD 23.8K

-48.75%

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

$12.44 R$67.6

$27.18 JMD 4,294

-54.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$108

$50.3 JMD 7,953

-60.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$133

$54.5 JMD 8,607

-55.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$138

$15.99 JMD 2,527

59.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.99

$13.11 JMD 2,071

-46.76%

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

$316 R$1,718

$334 JMD 52.7K

-5.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$45.1K

$5,076 JMD 802.0K

63.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$269

$29.04 JMD 4,588

70.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$249

$29.03 JMD 4,586

57.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$454

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$357

$91.8 JMD 14.5K

-28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$2,029

$810 JMD 128.0K

-53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,363

$441 JMD 69.7K

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,911

$1,782 JMD 281.5K

-59.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,667

$1,151 JMD 181.9K

-57.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,764

$4,486 JMD 708.7K

-59.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,904

$3,316 JMD 523.9K

-61.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,701

$789 JMD 124.6K

-37.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

9.61

16.23%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

Jamaica

$441 30% 76.2% $191

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

Jamaica

$370 25.1% 102% $186

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

Jamaica

$194 13.2% 61.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

Jamaica

$102 6.9% 7.1% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

Jamaica

$228 15.5% 109% $119

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

Jamaica

$57 3.8% 5.2% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

Jamaica

$81 5.5% 111% $42

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $654 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $958 in Kingston.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $793 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 95% higher in Jamaica.

Dining out costs 148% more in Jamaica.

Salaries are 69% higher in Jamaica.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇯🇲 Jamaica

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h behind Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

2,697,983

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil Jamaica 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
Jamaica

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

Brazil vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 41% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Jamaica: a central one-bedroom averages $654 versus $335 in Brazil.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil – part of why living there is about 41% cheaper overall.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.