Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamaica and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamaica and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $717 per month in Jamaica vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Jamaica vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,646 per month in Jamaica vs $4,253 in Australia, rent included.

Jamaica is roughly 67% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Jamaica sits 47% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 JMD 1,376

$16.44 A$23.40

-46.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,921

$78.1 A$111

-19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,268

$9.94 A$14.15

-18.91%

Cappuccino

$3.79 JMD 596

$3.60 A$5.12

5.28%

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

$1.22 JMD 192

$2.68 A$3.81

-54.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$2.14 A$3.04

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 JMD 401

$6.53 A$9.29

-60.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 486

$7.05 A$10.03

-56.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.64 JMD 572

$1.58 A$2.24

130.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 JMD 466

$2.53 A$3.60

17.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 JMD 242

$2.07 A$2.95

-25.60%

Eggs

$3.36 JMD 529

$4.30 A$6.13

-21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 JMD 1,740

$9.03 A$12.86

22.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 JMD 1,213

$8.55 A$12.17

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 JMD 1,214

$13.96 A$19.86

-44.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 963

$3.18 A$4.53

92.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.57 JMD 562

$2.84 A$4.04

25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 648

$2.95 A$4.20

39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 JMD 343

$4.43 A$6.31

-50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 JMD 368

$2.46 A$3.49

-4.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$2.17 A$3.09

-2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 JMD 352

$2.29 A$3.26

-2.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 JMD 196

$1.57 A$2.24

-20.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 JMD 1,470

$30.87 A$43.94

-69.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 JMD 1,964

$14.06 A$20.01

-11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 JMD 401

$4.55 A$6.48

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 JMD 476

$4.81 A$6.85

-37.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 JMD 153

$2.87 A$4.08

-66.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.74 JMD 7,666

$95.8 A$136

-49.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 143

$3.65 A$5.19

-75.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 488

$1.76 A$2.50

76.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 JMD 1,289

$38.27 A$54.5

-78.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 JMD 210

$1.15 A$1.64

15.65%

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

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

$28.4K A$40.4K

47.97%

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

$23.0K A$32.7K

40.10%

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

$139 JMD 21.8K

$178 A$253

-22.15%

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

$22.71 JMD 3,571

$26.46 A$37.66

-14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.34 JMD 7,289

$54.1 A$77.0

-14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 JMD 9,016

$46.64 A$66.4

22.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.39 JMD 1,634

$16.54 A$23.55

-37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 JMD 1,987

$13.65 A$19.42

-7.47%

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

$221 JMD 34.8K

$1,575 A$2,241

-85.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,588 JMD 564.3K

$12.7K A$18.1K

-71.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.05 JMD 4,097

$71.5 A$102

-63.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.62 JMD 3,715

$50.8 A$72.3

-53.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

$100 A$143

-34.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

$108 A$154

-24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 JMD 105.3K

$1,384 A$1,970

-51.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 JMD 55.5K

$1,105 A$1,573

-68.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 JMD 232.1K

$2,298 A$3,270

-35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 JMD 140.7K

$1,728 A$2,459

-48.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 JMD 426.0K

$7,610 A$10.8K

-64.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,092 JMD 486.4K

$5,504 A$7,834

-43.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 JMD 118.6K

$4,002 A$5,696

-81.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.34

6.35

31.34%

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

Last update for Jamaica: June 7, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $203 in Jamaica vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $886 in Kingston and $1,568 in Canberra.

Average salary: $750 in Jamaica vs $3,845 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 507% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 79% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 413% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

Jamaica vs Australia: 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 Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia 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 Australia 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.