Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Jamaica Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $764 per month in Brazil vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Brazil vs $1,182 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,678 per month in Brazil vs $1,646 in Jamaica, rent included.

Brazil costs about 7% more than Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Brazil and Jamaica are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 43% lower, Jamaica 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 R$28.43

$8.75 JMD 1,374

-37.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 R$147

$63.1 JMD 9,904

-55.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.96

$8.06 JMD 1,265

-23.57%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R$9.27

$3.79 JMD 595

-52.77%

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

$1.08 R$5.59

$1.22 JMD 192

-11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.66

$0.75 JMD 118

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.23

$2.55 JMD 401

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$14.24

$3.09 JMD 485

-11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.15

$3.64 JMD 571

-72.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.93

$2.96 JMD 465

-48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.34

$1.54 JMD 241

-20.78%

Eggs

$2.10 R$10.89

$3.36 JMD 528

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 R$45.25

$11.06 JMD 1,737

-21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.83 R$19.86

$7.71 JMD 1,211

-50.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R$38.97

$7.72 JMD 1,212

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.55

$6.12 JMD 961

-66.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.94

$3.57 JMD 561

-62.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.93

$4.12 JMD 647

-72.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.66

$2.18 JMD 342

-32.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.80

$2.34 JMD 367

-52.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.66

$2.12 JMD 333

-48.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.94

$2.24 JMD 352

-66.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.54

$1.25 JMD 196

-45.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.98

$9.35 JMD 1,468

-77.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 R$39.34

$12.49 JMD 1,961

-39.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.40

$2.55 JMD 400

-51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.51

$3.03 JMD 475

-26.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.82

$0.97 JMD 153

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 R$215

$48.74 JMD 7,653

-15.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.67

$0.91 JMD 143

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.36

$3.10 JMD 487

-72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$38.43

$8.20 JMD 1,287

-9.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.61

$1.33 JMD 209

-18.80%

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

$21.8K R$113.2K

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

-48.06%

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

$27.2K R$141.4K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-15.47%

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

$69.2 R$359

$139 JMD 21.8K

-50.09%

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

$13.63 R$70.8

$22.71 JMD 3,565

-39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 R$97.6

$46.34 JMD 7,276

-59.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.85 R$119

$57.3 JMD 9,000

-60.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.76 R$118

$10.39 JMD 1,632

119.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 R$32.39

$12.63 JMD 1,984

-50.59%

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

$285 R$1,480

$221 JMD 34.8K

28.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,497 R$38.9K

$3,588 JMD 563.4K

108.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.45 R$252

$26.05 JMD 4,090

85.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 R$224

$23.62 JMD 3,709

82.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 R$388

$65.2 JMD 10.2K

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$322

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

-23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 R$1,749

$670 JMD 105.1K

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 R$1,170

$353 JMD 55.4K

-36.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 R$3,402

$1,475 JMD 231.7K

-55.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 R$2,360

$895 JMD 140.5K

-49.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 R$9,595

$2,708 JMD 425.2K

-31.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 R$6,232

$3,092 JMD 485.5K

-61.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 R$2,661

$754 JMD 118.4K

-32.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

8.34

33.81%

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

Last update for Brazil: June 9, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $305 in Brazil vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $414 in Brasilia and $886 in Kingston.

Average salary: $479 in Brazil vs $750 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 59% more in Jamaica.

Public transport is 875% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 57% higher in Jamaica, giving Jamaica 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

Brazil vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Jamaica, contributing to the overall 10% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in Brazil 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.