The Cost to Move Back to Jamaica

This is one topic that I have been asked about a few times. I admit... I have just been lazy about looking up the past info needed to answer the question.

One patient reader asked:

My question to you is, and yes, this is all relative. How much do you believe is a reasonable sum of money (liquid US$) to make a 'comfortable' move. Okay, let me be reasonable give me a scale, a range. Thanks.

Here are some basic costs I incurred in my move from Hollywood, Florida to Kingston Jamaica:

1. Packing
This involves moving all your stuff into a 40 foot container, (or two or three.) The packing that must be done is more involved than it sounds, as I detailed in these post to my blog.

Professional help is a must to prevent breakage. I paid around US$550 to pack my container.

2. Moving the Container to Jamaica
I have no idea what the going rate is, but I paid about $2000 for a 40 foot container without a car inside.

3. Moving and Unpacking the Container
I recommend using a customs broker to do everything from clearing the container and its contents, to putting it all away in your new residence. I paid about $1350

4. Airfares
Depends on where you are coming from, and the size of the family.

As a returning resident who kept to the guidelines of they allow in a single move, I did not pay any customs duties.

This was all 2 years ago, so things may very well have changed since then.

With respect to the amount needed to feel comfortable, I would say that a budget in South Florida works out to about the same lifestyle in Jamaica, more or less. I have kept a monthly budget for a few years, and can see where the transition to Jamaica resulted in some one-time costs, but the overall number stayed about the same.

In other words, a US$50k salary in the Miami/Broward area gives just about the same lifestyle in both places, by me estimates. I left South Florida before housing prices went on a rampage, (and before some major hurricanes) so this should be adjusted somewhat to reflect these events.