Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamaica and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamaica and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $717 per month in Jamaica vs $1,540 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,180 per month in Jamaica vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,643 per month in Jamaica vs $3,107 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Jamaica is roughly 53% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Jamaica sits 46% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 JMD 1,395

$10.13 ₡4,558

-12.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 JMD 9,912

$59.8 ₡26.9K

5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 JMD 1,296

$9.92 ₡4,463

-16.94%

Cappuccino

$3.59 JMD 565

$4.06 ₡1,828

-11.58%

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

$1.26 JMD 199

$2.12 ₡953

-40.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 JMD 125

$1.73 ₡776

-53.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 JMD 383

$2.99 ₡1,347

-18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 JMD 491

$4.50 ₡2,023

-30.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.67 JMD 578

$2.02 ₡910

81.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 JMD 454

$3.09 ₡1,390

-6.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$2.43 ₡1,092

-33.74%

Eggs

$3.43 JMD 540

$3.32 ₡1,492

3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,762

$9.18 ₡4,131

22.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 JMD 1,257

$9.31 ₡4,191

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 JMD 1,204

$13.22 ₡5,950

-42.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 JMD 969

$4.74 ₡2,131

29.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 JMD 582

$1.61 ₡722

129.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 648

$3.25 ₡1,461

26.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 JMD 345

$2.96 ₡1,330

-26.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 JMD 371

$2.92 ₡1,315

-19.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 JMD 325

$2.78 ₡1,249

-25.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 JMD 351

$1.02 ₡461

118.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 JMD 196

$2.45 ₡1,104

-48.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 JMD 1,472

$5.06 ₡2,278

84.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 JMD 1,905

$16.79 ₡7,557

-27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 JMD 411

$2.30 ₡1,033

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 497

$2.81 ₡1,263

12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 151

$1.03 ₡461

-6.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.44 JMD 7,776

$48.91 ₡22.0K

1.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 JMD 151

$1.81 ₡814

-46.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 493

$2.01 ₡907

56.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 JMD 1,269

$7.68 ₡3,455

5.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 JMD 207

$1.50 ₡676

-12.00%

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

$41.6K JMD 6.5M

$36.2K ₡16.3M

15.03%

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

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

$36.0K ₡16.2M

-9.15%

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

$142 JMD 22.3K

$87.9 ₡39.5K

61.10%

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

$23.24 JMD 3,655

$25.69 ₡11.6K

-9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.82 JMD 7,207

$54.3 ₡24.5K

-15.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 JMD 8,763

$56.9 ₡25.6K

-2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.44 JMD 1,643

$28.68 ₡12.9K

-63.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 JMD 1,941

$9.00 ₡4,048

37.11%

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

$227 JMD 35.8K

$556 ₡250.3K

-59.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,677 JMD 578.3K

$10.2K ₡4.6M

-63.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 JMD 4,178

$73.4 ₡33.0K

-63.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.21 JMD 3,809

$53.2 ₡23.9K

-54.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

$119 ₡53.5K

-45.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 JMD 12.9K

$103 ₡46.4K

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 JMD 104.9K

$799 ₡359.5K

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 JMD 57.1K

$543 ₡244.3K

-33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 JMD 231.8K

$1,471 ₡662.1K

0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 JMD 143.4K

$1,055 ₡475.0K

-13.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,683 JMD 422.0K

$2,461 ₡1.1M

9.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,062 JMD 481.5K

$1,640 ₡737.8K

86.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$734 JMD 115.4K

$1,084 ₡487.7K

-32.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.34

10.53

-20.80%

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

Last update for Jamaica: July 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $203 in Jamaica vs $752 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $909 in Kingston and $873 in San Jose.

Average salary: $752 in Jamaica vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 270% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 21% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 46% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Jamaica.

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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 119% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Jamaica, contributing to the overall 119% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.