cost of living

Rents consuming nearly 58% of average take-home pay, a 150,000-unit housing deficit and a Bank of Jamaica rate that refuses to move — our July 2026 review maps the forces squeezing Jamaica’s renters and first-time buyers and asks what relief, if any, is on the horizon.

A rate cut to 5.50%, inflation falling below the Bank of Jamaica’s own target floor, and a J$50 billion NHT capital plan — Jamaica’s housing market began 2026 with rare optimism. Then oil prices climbed. This quarter’s review examines what changed and what it means.

Kingston, Jamaica — 6 February 2026 London has again been named the most powerful city in the world, retaining the…

Hurricane Melissa inflicted damage exceeding 40% of Jamaica’s GDP. As the island enters 2026, the Bank of Jamaica holds rates at 5.75%, inflation is set to breach the upper target and rental pressure intensifies. This is Jamaica’s housing market at its most tested point in a generation.

Government slashes electricity GCT, NHT loan limits rise and deposits fall for first-time buyers — yet Jamaica’s housing market faces a rental crisis running at 7.3% inflation and a 150,000-unit deficit. October 2025’s review examines what changed and what still needs to.

Jamaica’s first rate cut in years, 800,000 Airbnb guests annually, new NHT reforms and stabilising inflation — this is Jamaica’s housing market finding a fragile equilibrium. July 2025’s review examines what the progress means and what the market still needs to resolve.

Sun, sea, and serenity—Jamaica has long been a siren call to retirees seeking a laid-back lifestyle kissed by trade winds…

US tariffs land 5 days after Jamaica’s most ambitious NHT reforms in a generation are announced, while inflation falls from 7.4% to 4.4% in just months. April 2025’s review assesses Jamaica’s housing market at its most pivotal — and most uncertain — moment in years.

Four consecutive BOJ rate cuts in 2024 brought the policy rate to 6.00%, Hurricane Beryl cost 1.1% of GDP, and mortgage originations rose 12.8%. Jamaica enters 2025 with genuine momentum but unchanged structural challenges. January 2025’s review takes the full measure.

Jamaica, with its rich culture, music, food, beautiful landscapes, land of food and water, and vibrant communities, is more than…

Hurricane Beryl damaged 8,700 homes and contracted Jamaica’s economy by 2.8%, even as the Bank of Jamaica began cutting rates and the NHT announced 15,000 new affordable solutions. October 2024’s review examines a market defined by contradiction — and cautious hope.

Jamaica, a vibrant island nation nestled in the Caribbean, is known for its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and warm, welcoming…

Hurricane Beryl made landfall across Jamaica four days ago, devastating southern parishes and exposing the deep vulnerabilities of a housing market already strained by high rates, constrained supply and a 150,000-unit deficit. July 2024’s review examines what the storm means for buyers, renters, and the road ahead.

With the Bank of Jamaica’s rate held at 7.00% for eleven consecutive months and a new starter home programme just announced, Jamaica’s housing market in spring 2024 is poised at an inflection point. This review asks what comes next — and whether policy ambition can finally match delivery.

Seven months at peak rates, a record tourism year and an election on the horizon: Jamaica’s housing market begins 2024 waiting for the turn that the data says is coming — but that has not yet arrived.