Moving to Jamaica from Botswana

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Botswana to Jamaica — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Botswana to Jamaica.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Botswana and Jamaica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

BW
10.6
JM
53.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BW
16.5
JM
17.8

Botswana performs better than Jamaica across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BW
$1,310
JM
$869
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BW
3.8
JM
5.5

Jamaica performs significantly better than Botswana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BW
55.0
JM
22.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BW
2.7t
JM
2.8t

Botswana generally does better on environment, though Jamaica leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BW
4.2
JM
15.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BW
2.4%
JM
12.4%

Botswana generally does better on infrastructure, though Jamaica leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BW
23.4%
JM
4.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BW
$17,500
JM
$10,300

Botswana generally does better on employment & economy, though Jamaica leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BW
65.6 yrs
JM
75.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BW
25.2
JM
11.2

Jamaica generally does better on family life, though Botswana leads in education spending.

Data: Botswana Unified Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Gaborone Rain: 21.7 in/yr (552 mm)
83° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kingston Rain: 32.0 in/yr (813 mm)
89° / 73°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Gaborone Kingston
Jan–Mar 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) 87°/70°F (30°/21°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) 89°/74°F (32°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) 91°/76°F (33°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 88°/73°F (31°/23°C)
View all months
Month Gaborone Kingston
Jan 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) 87°/70°F (30.3°/21.1°C)
Feb 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.0°C)
Mar 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.6°C)
Apr 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) 88°/73°F (31.1°/22.6°C)
May 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.6°C)
Jun 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.2°C)
Jul 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) 91°/76°F (32.8°/24.3°C)
Aug 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) 91°/76°F (32.7°/24.2°C)
Sep 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) 90°/75°F (32.1°/24.0°C)
Oct 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) 89°/74°F (31.7°/23.4°C)
Nov 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.8°C)
Dec 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.8°C)

Data: Botswana Meteorological Services Botswana Meteorological Services, Meteorological Service, Jamaica Meteorological Service, Jamaica

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Botswana and Jamaica. To live, work, or study long-term in Jamaica, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Jamaica's immigration authority.

Botswana passport

Botswana passport holder visiting Jamaica

Visa Free
Botswana passport holders can enter Jamaica without a visa.
Jamaica passport

Jamaica passport holder visiting Botswana

Visa Free
Jamaica passport holders can enter Botswana without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Jamaica?

With 15.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Jamaica can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Botswana and Jamaica.

Is Jamaica safe for expats?

Botswana performs better than Jamaica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Jamaica is 53.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 10.6 in Botswana.

How is healthcare in Jamaica compared to Botswana?

Jamaica performs significantly better than Botswana across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Jamaica, compared to 3.8 in Botswana. Jamaica scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Botswana: 55).

What's the weather like in Jamaica compared to Botswana?

The average high temperature in Kingston is 89°F, compared to 83°F in Gaborone. Kingston receives around 32.0 in of rainfall per year, while Gaborone gets 21.7 in.

What language do they speak in Jamaica?

The official languages in Jamaica are English and Jamaican Patois. In Botswana, the official languages are English and Tswana.

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At a Glance

BW JM
Population 2,384,246 2,818,596
Currency Botswanan Pula (BWP) Jamaican Dollar (JMD)
Languages English, Tswana English, Jamaican Patois
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +267 +1
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 119