Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Jamaica

Name: Jamaica
Address: JM

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Jamaica
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Jamaica Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

United States $2,734
Jamaica $1,472

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

United States $3,985
Jamaica $2,514

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

United States $5,235
Jamaica $3,557

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 the United States is about 86% higher than in Jamaica on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$10.97 JMD 1,732

82.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.37 JMD 1,323

40.98%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.57 JMD 721

21.44%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.26 JMD 200

111.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.72 JMD 114

201.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.19 JMD 345

179.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.74 JMD 590

112.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.87 JMD 611

-73.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.25 JMD 514

10.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.64 JMD 259

175.61%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.98 JMD 629

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$11.80 JMD 1,864

12.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.16 JMD 1,289

54.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$8.84 JMD 1,397

99.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.67 JMD 1,053

-20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.62 JMD 572

-53.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.03 JMD 794

-11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.58 JMD 408

84.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.77 JMD 438

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.57 JMD 406

22.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.62 JMD 414

-16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.36 JMD 216

72.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$10.60 JMD 1,674

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.19 JMD 1,926

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.77 JMD 438

-25.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.27 JMD 517

15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.60 JMD 95.3

223.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$37.31 JMD 5,895

59.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.90 JMD 143

297.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.19 JMD 504

-41.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$7.04 JMD 1,112

323.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.36 JMD 215

-25.00%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$41.1K JMD 6.5M

-29.96%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$29.2K JMD 4.6M

-10.11%

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

$218 $218

$151 JMD 23.8K

44.73%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$27.18 JMD 4,294

129.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$50.3 JMD 7,953

47.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$54.5 JMD 8,607

-23.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$15.99 JMD 2,527

42.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$13.11 JMD 2,071

12.13%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$334 JMD 52.7K

346.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$5,076 JMD 802.0K

397.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$29.04 JMD 4,588

87.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$29.03 JMD 4,586

47.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$91.8 JMD 14.5K

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$810 JMD 128.0K

104.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$441 JMD 69.7K

205.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,782 JMD 281.5K

50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,151 JMD 181.9K

88.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$4,486 JMD 708.7K

-26.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,316 JMD 523.9K

-25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$789 JMD 124.6K

444.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.61

-31.84%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jamaica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Jamaica

$441 30% 67.2% $906

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Jamaica

$370 25.1% 11% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Jamaica

$228 15.5% 35.7% $127

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Jamaica

$194 13.2% 40.9% $134

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Jamaica

$102 6.9% 25.6% $35

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Jamaica

$57 3.8% 29.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Jamaica

$81 5.5% 13.2% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $793 in Jamaica. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇯🇲 Jamaica

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

2,697,983

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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

JMD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
Jamaica

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

United States vs Jamaica: 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.