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 $1,533 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,179 per month in Jamaica vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,641 per month in Jamaica vs $3,106 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Jamaica is roughly 53% cheaper than Costa Rica on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Jamaica sits 47% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Jamaica has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,461) than Costa Rica ($1,126–$2,034), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Jamaica.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.85 JMD 1,400

$9.74 ₡4,451

-9.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.1K

$60.5 ₡27.6K

5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 JMD 1,293

$9.92 ₡4,530

-17.64%

Cappuccino

$3.79 JMD 600

$4.04 ₡1,848

-6.19%

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

$1.23 JMD 195

$2.12 ₡969

-41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 JMD 124

$1.64 ₡749

-51.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 391

$2.92 ₡1,332

-15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 500

$4.46 ₡2,036

-29.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.64 JMD 576

$2.09 ₡953

74.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 JMD 465

$3.18 ₡1,453

-7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 242

$2.41 ₡1,099

-36.51%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 551

$3.43 ₡1,567

1.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 JMD 1,763

$9.52 ₡4,349

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 JMD 1,221

$9.22 ₡4,213

-16.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 JMD 1,217

$13.22 ₡6,041

-41.83%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 JMD 993

$4.70 ₡2,149

33.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 JMD 578

$1.56 ₡712

133.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 JMD 670

$3.35 ₡1,528

26.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 JMD 350

$3.00 ₡1,371

-26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 JMD 375

$2.93 ₡1,337

-19.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 321

$2.71 ₡1,240

-25.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 JMD 373

$1.02 ₡464

131.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 JMD 188

$2.42 ₡1,106

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,476

$5.01 ₡2,287

86.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 JMD 1,938

$16.31 ₡7,448

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 JMD 408

$2.31 ₡1,053

11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 487

$2.85 ₡1,300

8.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 151

$0.94 ₡431

2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.73 JMD 7,870

$49.31 ₡22.5K

0.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 JMD 156

$1.81 ₡825

-45.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 495

$2.00 ₡913

56.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 JMD 1,352

$7.43 ₡3,396

14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 JMD 211

$1.45 ₡662

-8.28%

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

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

$36.3K ₡16.6M

15.72%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

$34.8K ₡15.9M

-6.23%

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

$139 JMD 22.1K

$88.1 ₡40.2K

58.38%

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

$22.90 JMD 3,625

$25.36 ₡11.6K

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.41 JMD 7,503

$54.1 ₡24.7K

-12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 JMD 8,925

$57.7 ₡26.4K

-2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.44 JMD 1,652

$29.04 ₡13.3K

-64.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 JMD 1,999

$9.05 ₡4,134

39.56%

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

$224 JMD 35.5K

$550 ₡251.1K

-59.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,662 JMD 579.7K

$10.2K ₡4.7M

-64.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.90 JMD 4,099

$71.5 ₡32.7K

-63.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.00 JMD 3,798

$53.9 ₡24.6K

-55.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 JMD 10.7K

$121 ₡55.1K

-44.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 JMD 12.8K

$101 ₡46.2K

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 JMD 106.5K

$812 ₡371.1K

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 JMD 56.1K

$553 ₡252.8K

-35.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 JMD 227.7K

$1,493 ₡681.8K

-3.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 JMD 145.5K

$1,057 ₡483.0K

-13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,720 JMD 430.5K

$2,263 ₡1.0M

20.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,080 JMD 487.5K

$1,634 ₡746.5K

88.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.9K

$1,067 ₡487.3K

-29.00%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $203 in Jamaica vs $778 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $886 in Kingston and $885 in San Jose.

Average salary: $757 in Jamaica vs $1,096 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 283% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 19% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 45% higher in Costa Rica, giving Jamaica 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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 116% 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 116% 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.