Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamaica and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamaica: $1,472 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Jamaica
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Jamaica Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,472

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jamaica and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jamaica and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Jamaica vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Jamaica $1,472
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $2,514 per month in Jamaica vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Jamaica $2,514
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $3,557 per month in Jamaica vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Jamaica $3,557
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Jamaica ($8–$1,677), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Jamaica is roughly 46% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Jamaica and the United States are pricier than the global median – Jamaica by 8%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 JMD 1,732

$20.03 $20.03

-45.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

$80.0 $80.0

-4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 JMD 1,323

$11.80 $11.80

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$4.57 JMD 721

$5.55 $5.55

-17.66%

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

$1.26 JMD 200

$2.66 $2.66

-52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 114

$2.17 $2.17

-66.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$6.12 $6.12

-64.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 JMD 590

$7.94 $7.94

-52.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.87 JMD 611

$1.04 $1.04

272.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 JMD 514

$3.59 $3.59

-9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 259

$4.52 $4.52

-63.72%

Eggs

$3.98 JMD 629

$4.28 $4.28

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 JMD 1,864

$13.22 $13.22

-10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 JMD 1,289

$12.60 $12.60

-35.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 JMD 1,397

$17.60 $17.60

-49.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 JMD 1,053

$5.30 $5.30

25.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 JMD 572

$1.69 $1.69

114.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.03 JMD 794

$4.44 $4.44

13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 JMD 408

$4.77 $4.77

-45.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.97 $2.97

-6.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 JMD 406

$3.15 $3.15

-18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 JMD 414

$2.20 $2.20

19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 JMD 216

$2.35 $2.35

-42.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 JMD 1,674

$10.98 $10.98

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 JMD 1,926

$15.05 $15.05

-19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$2.06 $2.06

34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 JMD 517

$3.79 $3.79

-13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 JMD 95.3

$1.94 $1.94

-69.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.31 JMD 5,895

$59.4 $59.4

-37.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 JMD 143

$3.58 $3.58

-74.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 504

$1.88 $1.88

69.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 JMD 1,112

$29.84 $29.84

-76.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$1.02 $1.02

33.33%

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

$41.1K JMD 6.5M

$28.8K $28.8K

42.78%

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

$29.2K JMD 4.6M

$26.2K $26.2K

11.25%

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

$151 JMD 23.8K

$218 $218

-30.90%

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

$27.18 JMD 4,294

$62.5 $62.5

-56.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 JMD 7,953

$74.5 $74.5

-32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 JMD 8,607

$41.86 $41.86

30.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 JMD 2,527

$22.81 $22.81

-29.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 JMD 2,071

$14.70 $14.70

-10.82%

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

$334 JMD 52.7K

$1,489 $1,489

-77.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,076 JMD 802.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

-79.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.04 JMD 4,588

$54.3 $54.3

-46.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.03 JMD 4,586

$42.71 $42.71

-32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$94.1 $94.1

-18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 JMD 14.5K

$114 $114

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 JMD 128.0K

$1,659 $1,659

-51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 JMD 69.7K

$1,348 $1,348

-67.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 JMD 281.5K

$2,682 $2,682

-33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 JMD 181.9K

$2,169 $2,169

-46.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 JMD 708.7K

$3,283 $3,283

36.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,316 JMD 523.9K

$2,482 $2,482

33.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$789 JMD 124.6K

$4,296 $4,296

-81.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.61

6.55

46.72%

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

Last update for Jamaica: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Jamaica

$441 30%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 205% $906

Groceries & Markets

Jamaica

$370 25.1%

United States

$415 15.2% 12.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jamaica

$228 15.5%

United States

$355 13% 55.6% $127

Eating Out

Jamaica

$194 13.2%

United States

$328 12% 69.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Jamaica

$102 6.9%

United States

$137 5% 34.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Jamaica

$81 5.5%

United States

$71 2.6% 11.7% $9.4

Getting Around

Jamaica

$57 3.8%

United States

$80 2.9% 41.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $654 in Jamaica vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $958 in Kingston and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $793 in Jamaica vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 148% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 5.7 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Jamaica

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

1 h ahead of Jamaica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,697,983

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jamaica United States 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jamaica
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $654 in Jamaica.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Jamaica – part of why living there is about 46% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Jamaica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.