Moving to Puerto Rico from Jamaica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Jamaica to Puerto Rico — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Jamaica to Puerto Rico, you would find that Puerto Rico is 55.1% more expensive than Jamaica overall. A JMD11,813,539 salary in Jamaica would need to be roughly $87,993 in Puerto Rico to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Jamaica to Puerto Rico.
What does your salary buy?
JMD11,813,539 → $87,993
To maintain the same standard of living in Puerto Rico
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 62.3% more
Groceries
pay 13.3% more
Transportation
pay 31.9% less
Housing
pay 61.9% more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.9% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Jamaica to Puerto Rico, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Puerto Rico?
Top countries of origin for Puerto Rico's foreign-born residents.
- 159,515
- 46,905
- 12,637
- 4,039
- 2,604
- 2,094
- · · ·
-
37.18
Jamaica
Key Indicator Comparison
How Jamaica and Puerto Rico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Puerto Rico performs significantly better than Jamaica across all safety metrics.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Jamaica performs better than Puerto Rico across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
Jamaica generally does better on infrastructure, though Puerto Rico leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Jamaica generally does better on employment & economy, though Puerto Rico leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Puerto Rico generally does better on family life, though Jamaica leads in education spending.
Data: Tax Admministration of Jamaica, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Jamaica and Puerto Rico. To live, work, or study long-term in Puerto Rico, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Puerto Rico's immigration authority.
Jamaica passport holder visiting Puerto Rico
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Puerto Rico than Jamaica?
Day-to-day costs in Puerto Rico run about 17% higher than Jamaica on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Puerto Rico?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a JMD11,813,539 comparable salary, that's around $21,998 in Puerto Rico for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Puerto Rico?
With 21.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Puerto Rico can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Is Puerto Rico safe for expats?
Puerto Rico performs significantly better than Jamaica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Puerto Rico is 14.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 53.3 in Jamaica.
What language do they speak in Puerto Rico?
The official languages in Puerto Rico are English and Spanish. In Jamaica, the official languages are English and Jamaican Patois.
