Kingston - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
You will likely pay 5000-6000 JAMD per day for a helper. Some helpers will prepare meals for you. Helpers will do laundry, iron shirts, etc. You are expected to pay your helper a Christmas bonus. - May 2022
It's inexpensive, and we pay a top rate to our helper. We supported our helper all through COVID. This is important when there is a problem...be it a pandemic or hurricane, I feel it is important to support your employees even if they cannot attend work. In my opinion, many people live on a knife-edge of economic instability. Our helper is trustworthy and works hard. It's also possible to find nannies, swim coaches who come to your pool, fitness coaches, etc. - May 2022
Most people will hire a housekeeper for 1 or 2 days per week. People pay around US$30 - $40 for a day's work. If you are in a house, you will likely need to pay someone to help garden. We pay someone US$15 every two weeks to mow our grass. - Jan 2020
Household help is readily available and most people are happy with their helpers. It has taken a few families, though, a bit of trial and error to find the right person. The embassy rate is a bit higher than the local rate. - Aug 2018
Many expats, especially those with kids, employ a "helper" full time for around US$500 - US$600/month. Part-time helpers are also available. - Jun 2018
Helpers are affordable. $20-$35 USD per day for somebody to come clean. Child care is a bit more but still very affordable for full time help, $500-$700 USD per month depending on number of children and the helpers experience. - Mar 2017
Relatively cheap--US$500 to 600 a month for full time. - Apr 2016
Domestic help is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Most people pay in the area of US$20 per day for their helpers. - Dec 2014
Very affordable. Our full-time helper works 50 hours per week for roughly US$120. - Oct 2014
About US$400 a month is the norm. - Mar 2014
Embassy families usually pay about US$25/day for domestic help and US$35/week for gardeners. We overpay SIGNIFICANTLY compared to locals. Nannies get about US$400/month usually. - Dec 2013
Very reasonable. Around $1500 - $2500 JM per day, or $8,000 - $13,000 per week for full time. - Aug 2011
They are available and the rate is from $2k JA to 3k JA. It's open for negotiation. - Sep 2010
Very cheap and always available. - Jul 2010
Available and fairly cheap - May 2010
Very inexpensive and readily available. It is VERY important to get a personal reference, as trustworthiness in worth its weight in gold. - Nov 2009
Domestic help can be cheap. There are always helpers and nannys always looking for a job. Finding a trustworthy, hard worker can be a little harder to find. - Jan 2009
Available and cheap. - Jan 2009
Cheap, US$20-$ 25 a day depending on the size of the home she has to clean. - May 2008
