Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamaica: $1,472 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Italy
Jamaica
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,472
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $1,472 in Jamaica.

  • Italy $1,843
  • Jamaica $1,472

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $2,514 in Jamaica.

  • Italy $2,816
  • Jamaica $2,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $3,557 in Jamaica.

  • Italy $3,788
  • Jamaica $3,557

Italy ($1,038–$2,555) and Jamaica ($8–$1,677) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Italy is roughly 25% more expensive than in Jamaica on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 35% above, Jamaica 8% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46 €18.32
$10.97 JMD 1,732
86.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €71.2
$76.4 JMD 12.1K
4.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 €9.99
$8.37 JMD 1,323
33.21%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.83
$4.57 JMD 721
-55.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$1.26 JMD 200
146.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$0.72 JMD 114
94.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 €4.94
$2.19 JMD 345
151.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.14
$3.74 JMD 590
53.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$3.87 JMD 611
-59.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.13
$3.25 JMD 514
-26.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.60
$1.64 JMD 259
76.83%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.65
$3.98 JMD 629
2.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.44 €15.62
$11.80 JMD 1,864
47.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.56 €11.25
$8.16 JMD 1,289
53.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.17 €18.06
$8.84 JMD 1,397
128.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$6.67 JMD 1,053
-61.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$3.62 JMD 572
-39.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
$5.03 JMD 794
-46.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 €2.93
$2.58 JMD 408
26.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$2.77 JMD 438
-31.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.57 JMD 406
-29.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.62 JMD 414
-40.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.36 JMD 216
-59.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €5.99
$10.60 JMD 1,674
-36.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.15
$12.19 JMD 1,926
-34.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.59
$2.77 JMD 438
-36.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$3.27 JMD 517
-28.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.60 JMD 95.3
218.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.44 €38.90
$37.31 JMD 5,895
16.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.03
$0.90 JMD 143
524.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.54
$3.19 JMD 504
-46.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 €30.12
$7.04 JMD 1,112
377.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.36 JMD 215
49.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.6K
$41.1K JMD 6.5M
-14.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.9K
$29.2K JMD 4.6M
26.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €203
$151 JMD 23.8K
50.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.38
$27.18 JMD 4,294
-57.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.21
$50.3 JMD 7,953
-39.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.37
$54.5 JMD 8,607
-4.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.22
$15.99 JMD 2,527
48.22%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.50
$13.11 JMD 2,071
-19.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €508
$334 JMD 52.7K
70.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$5,076 JMD 802.0K
127.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €81.1
$29.04 JMD 4,588
211.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 €34.53
$29.03 JMD 4,586
32.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.9
$76.8 JMD 12.1K
33.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$91.8 JMD 14.5K
42.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 €739
$810 JMD 128.0K
1.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €579
$441 JMD 69.7K
46.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,254
$1,782 JMD 281.5K
-21.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 €944
$1,151 JMD 181.9K
-8.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,280
$4,486 JMD 708.7K
-18.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,301 €2,061
$3,316 JMD 523.9K
-30.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Jamaica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,886 €1,689
$789 JMD 124.6K
139.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
9.61
-62.96%

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

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646
Jamaica
$441 31.7% $205
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348
Jamaica
$370 6.2% $22
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Jamaica
$194 30.4% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269
Jamaica
$228 15% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Jamaica
$102 37.5% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73
Jamaica
$81 10.6% $7.7
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Jamaica
$57 13.3% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $654 in Jamaica. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $958 in Kingston.

National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $793 in Jamaica. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in Italy.

Salaries are about 2.4 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇲 Jamaica
🕒 Local time
04:56 4:56 AM
22:56 10:56 PM
6 h behind Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
2,697,983
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Jamaica 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • 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
Italy vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Jamaica?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $1,472 in Jamaica, Jamaica comes out about 20% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $654 in Jamaica. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to Jamaica?
It depends on what you’re after: Jamaica wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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