Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,172 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,172

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,172 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,683 in Vancouver, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,172
Vancouver $2,683

A couple spends around $2,155 per month in Montego Bay vs $3,963 in Vancouver, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,155
Vancouver $3,963

A family of three spends $3,137 per month in Montego Bay vs $5,244 in Vancouver, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,137
Vancouver $5,244

Montego Bay is about 56% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montego Bay sits 13% below the global median, while Vancouver is 98% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 JMD 1,770

$18.10 CA$25.45

-38.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 JMD 12.2K

$71.0 CA$99.8

8.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 JMD 1,268

$10.57 CA$14.86

-24.03%

Cappuccino

$5.47 JMD 862

$3.97 CA$5.58

37.78%

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

$0.87 JMD 137

$2.07 CA$2.91

-57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 JMD 92.3

$1.85 CA$2.60

-68.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 JMD 339

$5.67 CA$7.97

-62.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 488

$6.61 CA$9.30

-53.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 JMD 527

$2.16 CA$3.03

54.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 JMD 428

$2.58 CA$3.63

5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 JMD 225

$4.30 CA$6.04

-66.74%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 548

$4.09 CA$5.76

-15.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,774

$12.12 CA$17.04

-7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 967

$13.28 CA$18.68

-53.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.08 JMD 1,433

$20.11 CA$28.28

-54.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 JMD 639

$3.96 CA$5.58

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 JMD 406

$1.43 CA$2.01

79.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.45 JMD 1,176

$3.71 CA$5.21

100.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 JMD 390

$3.92 CA$5.52

-36.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 JMD 394

$2.87 CA$4.03

-12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 413

$2.98 CA$4.19

-12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 JMD 405

$2.61 CA$3.68

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$1.63 CA$2.30

-52.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 JMD 1,525

$15.94 CA$22.42

-39.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 JMD 1,821

$14.25 CA$20.04

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 448

$2.52 CA$3.55

12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 624

$2.87 CA$4.04

37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 JMD 152

$2.57 CA$3.61

-62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

$2.74 CA$3.86

-66.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 503

$1.63 CA$2.29

95.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 966

$31.90 CA$44.86

-80.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JMD 222

$1.46 CA$2.05

-4.11%

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

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

$26.7K CA$37.6K

66.25%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$21.0K CA$29.6K

56.15%

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

$88.2 CA$124

91.91%

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

$22.38 JMD 3,531

$36.72 CA$51.6

-39.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.50 JMD 7,653

$49.81 CA$70.1

-2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.68 JMD 6,892

$45.34 CA$63.8

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.06

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 JMD 1,380

$12.55 CA$17.65

-30.28%

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

$356 JMD 56.2K

$1,055 CA$1,484

-66.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K JMD 2.8M

$28.5K CA$40.1K

-37.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.83 JMD 3,760

$56.4 CA$79.3

-57.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.35 JMD 4,947

$34.37 CA$48.34

-8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 JMD 11.1K

$89.8 CA$126

-21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.2K

$94.3 CA$133

8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 JMD 49.2K

$1,738 CA$2,444

-82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.5K

$1,528 CA$2,150

-85.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 JMD 150.8K

$3,107 CA$4,369

-69.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 JMD 146.5K

$2,547 CA$3,582

-63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,899

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 JMD 94.3K

$3,770 CA$5,302

-84.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.24

122.88%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$327 27.9%

Vancouver

$398 14.9% 21.8% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$240 20.5%

Vancouver

$175 6.5% 27.2% $65

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$218 18.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 600% $1.3K

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$202 17.3%

Vancouver

$281 10.5% 39.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$102 8.7%

Vancouver

$124 4.6% 20.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$61 5.2%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 15.2% $9.3

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Vancouver

$106 3.9% 410% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $312 in Montego Bay versus $1,738 in Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Vancouver are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Montego Bay versus $71 in Vancouver. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Montego Bay vs $398 in Vancouver – so Montego Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

14:11 2:11 PM

2 h behind Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

631,486

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montego Bay Vancouver 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 129% 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 $1,758 per month in Montego Bay and $4,024 in Vancouver. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $312 there versus $1,738 in Vancouver.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Montego Bay and $71 in Vancouver. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Vancouver, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,172 in Montego Bay and $2,683 in Vancouver. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.