Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamaica: $1,472 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Jamaica
Learn more

Jamaica Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,472 in Jamaica, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Jamaica $1,472

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,514 in Jamaica, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Jamaica $2,514

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,557 in Jamaica, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Jamaica $3,557

The regional cost range is wider in Jamaica ($8–$1,677) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 24% higher than in Jamaica on average.

Both Costa Rica and Jamaica are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, Jamaica by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$10.97 JMD 1,732

2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

-28.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$8.37 JMD 1,323

31.66%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$4.57 JMD 721

-3.06%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.26 JMD 200

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$0.72 JMD 114

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$2.19 JMD 345

48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$3.74 JMD 590

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$3.87 JMD 611

-36.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$3.25 JMD 514

9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$1.64 JMD 259

68.29%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$3.98 JMD 629

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$11.80 JMD 1,864

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$8.16 JMD 1,289

22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$8.84 JMD 1,397

57.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$6.67 JMD 1,053

-24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$3.62 JMD 572

-53.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$5.03 JMD 794

-31.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$2.58 JMD 408

25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$2.77 JMD 438

24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.57 JMD 406

26.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$2.62 JMD 414

-58.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$1.36 JMD 216

96.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$10.60 JMD 1,674

-49.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$12.19 JMD 1,926

27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.77 JMD 438

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$3.27 JMD 517

0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$0.60 JMD 95.3

88.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$37.31 JMD 5,895

75.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$0.90 JMD 143

141.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$3.19 JMD 504

-36.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$7.04 JMD 1,112

26.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.36 JMD 215

18.38%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$41.1K JMD 6.5M

-15.98%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$29.2K JMD 4.6M

28.14%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$151 JMD 23.8K

-36.96%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$27.18 JMD 4,294

15.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$50.3 JMD 7,953

16.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$54.5 JMD 8,607

20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$15.99 JMD 2,527

38.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$13.11 JMD 2,071

-38.22%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$334 JMD 52.7K

116.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$5,076 JMD 802.0K

154.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$29.04 JMD 4,588

159.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$29.03 JMD 4,586

94.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

66.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$91.8 JMD 14.5K

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$810 JMD 128.0K

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$441 JMD 69.7K

60.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$1,782 JMD 281.5K

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$1,151 JMD 181.9K

5.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$4,486 JMD 708.7K

-40.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$3,316 JMD 523.9K

-44.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$789 JMD 124.6K

34.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

9.61

-0.52%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: 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

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Jamaica

$441 30% 37.7% $267

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Jamaica

$370 25.1% 2.8% $10

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Jamaica

$194 13.2% 11.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Jamaica

$228 15.5% 23.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Jamaica

$102 6.9% 38.4% $64

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Jamaica

$57 3.8% 31.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Jamaica

$81 5.5% 1.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $654 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $958 in Kingston.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $793 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 33% more in Jamaica.

Public transport is 52% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 37% higher in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇯🇲 Jamaica

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

20:05 8:05 PM

1 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

2,697,983

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Jamaica 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
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

Costa Rica vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 19% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $654 in Jamaica.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in Costa Rica 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.