Beer prices and Cost of Living

[VVHT]

Just my humble opinion:

Current beer prices at my local tavern for a can of PBR or Narragansett are around $3 USD per can. Any national brand ( Bud, Miller or Coors) $6USD. Craft beer starts at $7USD and upwards.

Paying $5USD for an ice cold red stripe at Tony's Hut is okay with me.
You can't beat the view! Certainly a better view than my local tavern.
Tony is a great guy and I have spent a few memorable afternoons hanging at his bar chatting with him about the runnings in Negril!

Respect,

VVHT aka Happy

[ukran1ans]

Since JohnNYC's trip report got hijacked, those posts are moved here to continue without interruption to John's post.

Sorry, I should have known that a Red Strip price question would morph down this path...

[Rob]

Sorry, I should have known that a Red Strip price question would morph down this path...

No worries, just unhijacked it...

Prices are all over the place.

And for new comers to Negril, Red Dragon is a local bar off the beaten path, which just so happens to be a great place to hang out!

[Odinson]

$3USD/12 eggs is a pretty good deal. Here in Chicago, fancy eggs (fancy = as good as JA eggs) are around $5.

[Rob]

$3USD/12 eggs is a pretty good deal. Here in Chicago, fancy eggs (fancy = as good as JA eggs) are around $5.

For a dozen eggs it is over j$600. That's over $4us. And don't forget to add 15% for gct to all the prices, so it is very close to $5us for a dozen. The deal starts at 30 eggs minimum.

[johng]

Regarding the Cost of Living what is the current minimum wage in Jamaica please??

[Rob]

Regarding the Cost of Living what is the current minimum wage in Jamaica please??

The national minimum wage in Jamaica is $13,000 per 40 hour work week as of June 1, 2023. This is an increase from $9,000 per 40 hour work week which was effective April 1, 2022.

The wage never quite reaches the us$100 per week figure, by the time the government raises it, it is usually in the us$50 to $60 range.

[Rumlover]

The national minimum wage in Jamaica is $13,000 per 40 hour work week as of June 1, 2023. This is an increase from $9,000 per 40 hour work week which was effective April 1, 2022.

The wage never quite reaches the us$100 per week figure, by the time the government raises it, it is usually in the us$50 to $60 range.

That is so sad and why our dollars are so important. I know prices have gone up there just like everywhere else and it does affect everyone’s vacation budget. I have found prices for food and drink to be no more than we would expect to pay at home. In many cases cheaper than we would pay for anything comparable and not in paradise. Popular places can get away with charging more, in most cases anyway. They’ll find out quickly if they’ve exceeded what their clients are willing to fork out. Please always tip well for good service and friendly people. That puts the money directly into the pockets of people that are sometimes living on less than $3 US an hour. Three months until I get my overpriced beer on the beach. grin

[JohnNYC]

"The wage never quite reaches the us$100 per week figure, by the time the government raises it, it is usually in the us$50 to $60 range."

Very sad. We spend more than that on a nice lunch. This is why I always tip well. And before I hear comments from the tip haters, yes, I tip everyone I come in contact with from the gardener on up, and this applies wherever I stay. If we can afford vacations like we do, the least we can do is help those who help us enjoy ourselves.

[johng]

JohnNYC,
Nice trip report and glad you had a great trip. I agree with you 100% the wages that Jamaicans are paid is very sad. I used the "Red Stripe Comparison" only as a context. So If a Jamaican worker earns $50 USD in a week he could buy 10 Red Stripes at Tony's. 10 beers for 40 hours of work often times hard labor of some sort. Yes I'm sure that there are instances in the world where is is even worse but Jamaica is where we, who post on this board, Love!!!