Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in Toronto

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

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,169
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $2,141 per month in Montego Bay vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,141
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Montego Bay vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,113
Toronto $4,826

Montego Bay is about 54% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montego Bay sits 13% below the global median, while Toronto is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$17.18 CA$24.29

-35.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

$76.0 CA$107

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 JMD 1,319

$10.54 CA$14.89

-20.78%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 825

$4.02 CA$5.68

29.85%

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

$0.94 JMD 149

$2.12 CA$3.00

-55.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$1.75 CA$2.48

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 343

$6.24 CA$8.83

-65.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 484

$7.09 CA$10.02

-56.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 JMD 522

$2.44 CA$3.45

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 JMD 413

$2.68 CA$3.78

-2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

$2.24 CA$3.17

-38.39%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$3.56 CA$5.03

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,775

$9.09 CA$12.85

23.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 968

$11.33 CA$16.01

-45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 JMD 1,430

$14.53 CA$20.55

-37.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 JMD 637

$3.62 CA$5.12

11.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

$1.21 CA$1.72

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 JMD 1,151

$3.60 CA$5.09

102.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$4.21 CA$5.96

-41.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 386

$1.79 CA$2.53

36.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$1.59 CA$2.25

67.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 JMD 403

$2.27 CA$3.21

12.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$1.25 CA$1.77

-38.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

$13.82 CA$19.53

-33.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$14.27 CA$20.18

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$2.20 CA$3.10

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 JMD 640

$2.43 CA$3.44

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

$2.39 CA$3.38

-59.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

$2.91 CA$4.12

-68.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$1.20 CA$1.69

164.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

$21.38 CA$30.23

-70.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.21 CA$1.71

11.57%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

56.76%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

$20.3K CA$28.6K

61.14%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$120 CA$170

40.84%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

$32.26 CA$45.60

-30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 JMD 7,477

$47.93 CA$67.8

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 JMD 7,038

$38.48 CA$54.4

15.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 JMD 1,367

$12.38 CA$17.50

-30.13%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$830 CA$1,173

-57.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-64.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 JMD 3,713

$50.7 CA$71.7

-53.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 JMD 4,866

$40.02 CA$56.6

-23.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

$98.0 CA$139

-30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$121 CA$171

-15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 JMD 50.2K

$1,592 CA$2,251

-80.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 JMD 35.1K

$1,410 CA$1,994

-84.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$2,670 CA$3,775

-65.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$2,152 CA$3,042

-56.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 JMD 94.0K

$3,727 CA$5,269

-84.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.47

111.41%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$323 27.7%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 5.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$239 20.5%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 16.2% $39

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$222 19%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 534% $1.2K

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$200 17.1%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 38.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 38% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$62 5.3%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 2.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 527% $109

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Montego Bay versus $1,592 in Toronto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 527% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay versus $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $340 – making Montego Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h ahead of Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montego Bay Toronto 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
Toronto

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

Montego Bay vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 119% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $3,841 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay and $76.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montego Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Montego Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montego Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Montego Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.