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 $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Jamaica vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,646 per month in Jamaica vs $3,113 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.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 JMD 1,376

$9.92 ₡4,521

-11.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,921

$60.2 ₡27.4K

4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,268

$9.80 ₡4,466

-17.76%

Cappuccino

$3.79 JMD 596

$4.11 ₡1,875

-7.79%

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

$1.22 JMD 192

$2.10 ₡958

-41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$1.70 ₡776

-55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 JMD 401

$3.01 ₡1,370

-15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 486

$4.39 ₡2,002

-29.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.64 JMD 572

$2.01 ₡916

81.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 JMD 466

$3.10 ₡1,413

-4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 JMD 242

$2.45 ₡1,114

-37.14%

Eggs

$3.36 JMD 529

$3.37 ₡1,536

-0.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 JMD 1,740

$9.13 ₡4,161

21.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 JMD 1,213

$9.46 ₡4,310

-18.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 JMD 1,214

$13.21 ₡6,019

-41.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 963

$4.54 ₡2,069

34.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.57 JMD 562

$1.61 ₡735

121.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 648

$3.19 ₡1,452

29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 JMD 343

$3.07 ₡1,398

-28.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 JMD 368

$2.98 ₡1,357

-21.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$2.72 ₡1,238

-22.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 JMD 352

$1.01 ₡462

121.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 JMD 196

$2.44 ₡1,111

-48.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 JMD 1,470

$5.04 ₡2,296

85.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 JMD 1,964

$15.95 ₡7,265

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 JMD 401

$2.35 ₡1,072

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 JMD 476

$2.72 ₡1,238

11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 JMD 153

$0.97 ₡441

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.74 JMD 7,666

$49.77 ₡22.7K

-2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 143

$1.89 ₡862

-51.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 488

$1.94 ₡886

59.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 JMD 1,289

$7.78 ₡3,542

5.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 JMD 210

$1.51 ₡688

-11.92%

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

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

$37.3K ₡17.0M

12.43%

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

$35.7K ₡16.3M

-9.78%

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

$139 JMD 21.8K

$86.7 ₡39.5K

59.77%

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

$22.71 JMD 3,571

$25.28 ₡11.5K

-10.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.34 JMD 7,289

$54.7 ₡24.9K

-15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 JMD 9,016

$57.8 ₡26.3K

-0.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.39 JMD 1,634

$29.25 ₡13.3K

-64.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 JMD 1,987

$9.10 ₡4,146

38.79%

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

$221 JMD 34.8K

$542 ₡246.9K

-59.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,588 JMD 564.3K

$10.0K ₡4.6M

-64.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.05 JMD 4,097

$73.6 ₡33.5K

-64.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.62 JMD 3,715

$54.3 ₡24.7K

-56.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

$119 ₡54.4K

-45.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

$104 ₡47.3K

-21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 JMD 105.3K

$799 ₡363.9K

-16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 JMD 55.5K

$545 ₡248.4K

-35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 JMD 232.1K

$1,482 ₡675.1K

-0.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 JMD 140.7K

$1,037 ₡472.3K

-13.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 JMD 426.0K

$2,403 ₡1.1M

12.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,092 JMD 486.4K

$1,603 ₡730.1K

92.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 JMD 118.6K

$1,079 ₡491.8K

-30.13%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $203 in Jamaica vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $886 in Kingston and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $750 in Jamaica vs $1,089 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 21% 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 123% 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 123% 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.