Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Jamaica Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $717 in Jamaica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,182 in Jamaica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,584 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,646 in Jamaica, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 230% more than Jamaica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 76% above the global median, while Jamaica is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 £15.09

$8.75 JMD 1,376

130.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £65.0

$63.1 JMD 9,921

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.71

$8.06 JMD 1,268

27.92%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.49

$3.79 JMD 596

23.22%

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

$2.45 £1.83

$1.22 JMD 192

100.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.31

$0.75 JMD 118

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.95

$2.55 JMD 401

159.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 £4.72

$3.09 JMD 486

104.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$3.64 JMD 572

-54.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.96 JMD 466

-41.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.72

$1.54 JMD 242

48.70%

Eggs

$4.14 £3.10

$3.36 JMD 529

23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 £7.46

$11.06 JMD 1,740

-9.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.64

$7.71 JMD 1,213

15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.58

$7.72 JMD 1,214

83.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.22

$6.12 JMD 963

-51.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$3.57 JMD 562

-52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.14

$4.12 JMD 648

-30.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$2.18 JMD 343

56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.34 JMD 368

-29.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.12 JMD 333

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.24 JMD 352

-48.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.25 JMD 196

20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.73 £15.50

$9.35 JMD 1,470

121.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.11

$12.49 JMD 1,964

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.11

$2.55 JMD 401

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.48

$3.03 JMD 476

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 £2.38

$0.97 JMD 153

228.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.9

$48.74 JMD 7,666

94.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.09

$0.91 JMD 143

500.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$3.10 JMD 488

-50.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.66 £19.94

$8.20 JMD 1,289

225.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.33 JMD 210

43.61%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$42.0K JMD 6.6M

-9.11%

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

$41.1K £30.7K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

27.48%

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

$327 £244

$139 JMD 21.8K

135.78%

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

$17.50 £13.09

$22.71 JMD 3,571

-22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 £31.60

$46.34 JMD 7,289

-8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.35

$57.3 JMD 9,016

-19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 £11.89

$10.39 JMD 1,634

53.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 £10.07

$12.63 JMD 1,987

6.57%

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

$1,735 £1,297

$221 JMD 34.8K

683.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K £15.5K

$3,588 JMD 564.3K

477.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.9

$26.05 JMD 4,097

243.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 £33.39

$23.62 JMD 3,715

89.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.5

$65.2 JMD 10.3K

59.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.1

$81.4 JMD 12.8K

25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 £1,061

$670 JMD 105.3K

111.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 £852

$353 JMD 55.5K

222.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 £1,730

$1,475 JMD 232.1K

56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 £1,374

$895 JMD 140.7K

105.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,858 £4,381

$2,708 JMD 426.0K

116.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,550 £3,403

$3,092 JMD 486.4K

47.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 £2,416

$754 JMD 118.6K

328.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

8.34

-31.06%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $203 in Jamaica. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,031 in London and $886 in Kingston.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $750 in Jamaica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 523% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 95% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 2225% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 326% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom 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

United Kingdom vs Jamaica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 285% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Jamaica, contributing to the overall 285% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, but in United Kingdom 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.