Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Jamaica Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $1,180 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,432 per month in Canada vs $1,643 in Jamaica, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 224% higher than in Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 74% above the global median, while Jamaica is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.43

$8.87 JMD 1,395

104.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$104

$63.0 JMD 9,912

17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.75

$8.24 JMD 1,296

36.17%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.31

$3.59 JMD 565

5.29%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.26 JMD 199

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.47

$0.80 JMD 125

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.24

$2.44 JMD 383

140.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CA$8.28

$3.12 JMD 491

89.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$3.67 JMD 578

-40.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 CA$3.92

$2.89 JMD 454

-3.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.10

$1.61 JMD 253

126.09%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$3.43 JMD 540

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.05

$11.20 JMD 1,762

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 CA$17.56

$7.99 JMD 1,257

56.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 CA$21.07

$7.66 JMD 1,204

95.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.92

$6.16 JMD 969

-31.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$3.70 JMD 582

-61.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.53

$4.12 JMD 648

-4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.82

$2.19 JMD 345

89.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.36 JMD 371

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.07 JMD 325

33.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.23 JMD 351

14.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.61

$1.25 JMD 196

48.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 CA$20.47

$9.36 JMD 1,472

55.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 CA$18.57

$12.11 JMD 1,905

9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.12

$2.61 JMD 411

12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$3.16 JMD 497

3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$0.96 JMD 151

171.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 CA$110

$49.44 JMD 7,776

58.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 CA$4.93

$0.96 JMD 151

265.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$3.14 JMD 493

-50.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.70 CA$40.29

$8.07 JMD 1,269

255.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.32 JMD 207

-9.09%

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

$24.6K CA$34.6K

$41.6K JMD 6.5M

-40.86%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-37.18%

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

$155 CA$218

$142 JMD 22.3K

9.61%

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

$46.34 CA$65.0

$23.24 JMD 3,655

99.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 CA$89.2

$45.82 JMD 7,207

38.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 CA$60.2

$55.7 JMD 8,763

-22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CA$25.08

$10.44 JMD 1,643

71.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.14

$12.34 JMD 1,941

-6.81%

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

$815 CA$1,144

$227 JMD 35.8K

258.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.9K

$3,677 JMD 578.3K

227.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$78.1

$26.56 JMD 4,178

109.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 CA$59.7

$24.21 JMD 3,809

75.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 CA$124

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$81.8 JMD 12.9K

31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CA$1,869

$667 JMD 104.9K

99.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 CA$1,652

$363 JMD 57.1K

224.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,079

$1,474 JMD 231.8K

48.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CA$2,650

$912 JMD 143.4K

107.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 CA$6,446

$2,683 JMD 422.0K

71.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 CA$5,340

$3,062 JMD 481.5K

24.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,913 CA$4,088

$734 JMD 115.4K

297.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

8.34

-24.10%

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

Last update for Canada: July 25, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,468 in Ottawa and $909 in Kingston.

Average salary: $2,911 in Canada vs $752 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 532% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 58% more in Canada.

Public transport is 1525% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 287% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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 205% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada 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 Canada 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.