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 $826 per month in Jamaica vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,356 per month in Jamaica vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,885 per month in Jamaica vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Jamaica is roughly 50% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Jamaica sits 40% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 JMD 1,767

$10.89 ₡4,874

3.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

$55.8 ₡25.0K

36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 JMD 1,267

$10.81 ₡4,839

-25.35%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 690

$4.52 ₡2,021

-2.88%

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

$1.20 JMD 189

$2.45 ₡1,095

-51.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$1.89 ₡844

-62.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 354

$3.30 ₡1,476

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 JMD 607

$4.61 ₡2,064

-16.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.73 JMD 586

$2.42 ₡1,085

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 JMD 513

$3.60 ₡1,613

-9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 250

$2.70 ₡1,207

-41.11%

Eggs

$3.88 JMD 609

$4.01 ₡1,796

-3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 JMD 1,870

$10.21 ₡4,568

16.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 JMD 1,290

$10.38 ₡4,647

-20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 JMD 1,383

$13.83 ₡6,190

-36.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 JMD 1,039

$5.08 ₡2,272

30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 JMD 591

$1.75 ₡782

114.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 JMD 769

$3.52 ₡1,575

39.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 JMD 420

$3.23 ₡1,446

-17.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 JMD 434

$3.34 ₡1,496

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 JMD 386

$3.18 ₡1,422

-22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 JMD 405

$1.08 ₡483

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 JMD 218

$2.68 ₡1,200

-48.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 JMD 1,565

$5.57 ₡2,495

78.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 JMD 1,903

$15.23 ₡6,817

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 JMD 433

$2.67 ₡1,196

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 506

$3.33 ₡1,490

-3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 JMD 152

$1.09 ₡486

-11.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.88 JMD 7,207

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-29.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 JMD 153

$2.20 ₡983

-55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 490

$1.94 ₡870

60.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 JMD 1,184

$8.87 ₡3,969

-14.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 JMD 208

$1.60 ₡718

-17.50%

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

$40.9K JMD 6.4M

$32.7K ₡14.6M

25.26%

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

$28.8K JMD 4.5M

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-20.74%

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

$155 JMD 24.4K

$95.2 ₡42.6K

63.13%

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

$27.02 JMD 4,244

$31.50 ₡14.1K

-14.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 JMD 7,875

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-16.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 JMD 8,526

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.81 JMD 2,327

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-37.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 JMD 2,118

$8.21 ₡3,676

64.19%

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

$344 JMD 54.0K

$726 ₡324.9K

-52.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,151 JMD 809.2K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-59.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.66 JMD 4,659

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-60.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.21 JMD 4,588

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-45.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$125 ₡56.0K

-38.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 JMD 14.5K

$107 ₡47.7K

-13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 JMD 128.6K

$884 ₡395.5K

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 JMD 67.6K

$641 ₡286.7K

-32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,754 JMD 275.5K

$1,743 ₡779.9K

0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 JMD 179.2K

$1,168 ₡522.7K

-2.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 JMD 623.7K

$2,400 ₡1.1M

65.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,267 JMD 513.2K

$1,671 ₡748.0K

95.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$762 JMD 119.7K

$1,083 ₡484.5K

-29.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.61

9.56

0.52%

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

Last update for Jamaica: September 5, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $177 in Jamaica vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $955 in Kingston and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $752 in Jamaica vs $1,106 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 361% higher in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 250% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 47% 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 85% 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 85% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 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.