jamaica is a great place to live. yes, there are violent crimes in the country but if you consider that the island only has a population of 3+ million, which is less that some cities in the uk who have far higher crime rates it comes into perspective. Crime sells newspapers so it gets reported! Also much of the crimes does appear to be eiether gang or drug related perpetrated on people who either know each other or know of each other.You can be a random victim of crime anywhere in the world and if you parctice commensense here you should be ok. walk around sporting a rolex watch and load of jewelry and flashing cash and you'd abe atarget anywhere.
The climate is good, the food is fresh, the cost of living is reasonable. Medical care - you must have a good insurance policy!
rental rates are reasonable. The only caution is if you ever decide to build a house here. Quotes seem to be plucked from thin air, costs will escalate and sad to say not all builders are honest. There are numerous tales of individuals losing large sums of money.