Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamaica: $1,472 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Jamaica
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Jamaica Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada 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 Canada and in Jamaica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,472 in Jamaica, rent included.

Canada $2,310
Jamaica $1,472

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $2,514 in Jamaica, rent included.

Canada $3,356
Jamaica $2,514

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $3,557 in Jamaica, rent included.

Canada $4,403
Jamaica $3,557

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Jamaica ($8–$1,677), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 57% higher than in Jamaica on average.

Both Canada and Jamaica are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, Jamaica by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.38

$10.97 JMD 1,732

65.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$8.37 JMD 1,323

29.15%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$4.57 JMD 721

-17.29%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.26 JMD 200

67.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$0.72 JMD 114

130.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$2.19 JMD 345

156.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$7.99

$3.74 JMD 590

52.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$3.87 JMD 611

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$3.25 JMD 514

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$1.64 JMD 259

122.56%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.98 JMD 629

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$11.80 JMD 1,864

-8.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.62

$8.16 JMD 1,289

45.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$8.84 JMD 1,397

74.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$6.67 JMD 1,053

-39.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$3.62 JMD 572

-61.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.41

$5.03 JMD 794

-22.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$2.58 JMD 408

58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.77 JMD 438

-7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$2.57 JMD 406

-3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$2.62 JMD 414

1.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$1.36 JMD 216

25.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$10.60 JMD 1,674

35.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$12.19 JMD 1,926

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.77 JMD 438

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$3.27 JMD 517

0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$0.60 JMD 95.3

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$37.31 JMD 5,895

92.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$0.90 JMD 143

253.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$3.19 JMD 504

-51.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$7.04 JMD 1,112

279.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.36 JMD 215

-8.82%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$41.1K JMD 6.5M

-32.10%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$29.2K JMD 4.6M

-27.74%

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

$147 CA$206

$151 JMD 23.8K

-2.14%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$27.18 JMD 4,294

53.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.1

$50.3 JMD 7,953

19.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$54.5 JMD 8,607

-28.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$15.99 JMD 2,527

19.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$13.11 JMD 2,071

-14.49%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$334 JMD 52.7K

116.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$5,076 JMD 802.0K

192.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.2

$29.04 JMD 4,588

90.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$29.03 JMD 4,586

34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$91.8 JMD 14.5K

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,803

$810 JMD 128.0K

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$441 JMD 69.7K

156.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,845

$1,782 JMD 281.5K

14.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,418

$1,151 JMD 181.9K

50.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,664

$4,486 JMD 708.7K

6.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,211

$3,316 JMD 523.9K

12.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,289

$789 JMD 124.6K

289.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

9.61

-49.32%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

Jamaica

$441 30% 60.9% $689

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

Jamaica

$370 25.1% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

Jamaica

$194 13.2% 30.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

Jamaica

$228 15.5% 8.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

Jamaica

$102 6.9% 19.9% $25

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

Jamaica

$57 3.8% 39.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

Jamaica

$81 5.5% 31.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $654 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $958 in Kingston.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $793 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 91% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 13% more in Jamaica.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 3.7 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇯🇲 Jamaica

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

1 h behind Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

2,697,983

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada Jamaica 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Canada
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

Canada vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 36% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $654 in Jamaica.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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