Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden Grove and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,008 in Golden Grove, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Golden Grove despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Golden Grove
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Golden Grove Living Index

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Golden Grove

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,008

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Golden Grove and in May Pen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Golden Grove and in May Pen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,008 in Golden Grove versus $722 in May Pen.

Golden Grove $1,008
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Golden Grove versus $818 in May Pen.

Golden Grove $1,665
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,322 in Golden Grove versus $914 in May Pen.

Golden Grove $2,322
May Pen $914

Living in Golden Grove is roughly 40% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Golden Grove 26% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 JMD 2,174

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 JMD 11.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 JMD 1,271

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 859

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 JMD 187

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

Milk (1 liter)

$4.15 JMD 655

$2.23 JMD 352

86.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 JMD 586

$3.69 JMD 583

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$3.12 JMD 492

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.46 JMD 545

$3.37 JMD 531

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 JMD 1,771

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 967

$7.67 JMD 1,209

-20.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 JMD 1,598

$5.10 JMD 804

98.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 JMD 973

$1.60 JMD 253

285.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 603

$4.93 JMD 777

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 JMD 1,155

$6.33 JMD 998

15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$1.85 JMD 291

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 JMD 497

$1.93 JMD 304

63.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 411

$1.93 JMD 304

35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 JMD 496

$3.08 JMD 485

1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 226

$2.90 JMD 458

-50.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.30 JMD 1,467

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 JMD 1,771

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$2.26 JMD 357

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 JMD 627

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 494

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 JMD 1,010

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.41 JMD 223

2.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$171 JMD 27.0K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.71 JMD 4,686

$42.49 JMD 6,701

-30.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,379

$53.7 JMD 8,463

-0.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 JMD 2,100

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$367 JMD 57.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,099 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.46 JMD 3,700

$15.88 JMD 2,503

47.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.03 JMD 5,052

$21.63 JMD 3,411

48.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$41.60 JMD 6,560

90.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 16.0K

$52.7 JMD 8,310

91.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Golden Grove: October 25, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Golden Grove

$380 37.7%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Golden Grove

$254 25.2%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Golden Grove

$225 22.3%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Golden Grove

$106 10.5%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Golden Grove

$27 * 2.6%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Golden Grove

$17 * 1.7%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Golden Grove

- * 0%

May Pen

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Golden Grove

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as Golden Grove

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,058

44,755

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Golden Grove May Pen 100 km

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Golden Grove
May Pen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Golden Grove vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,008 in Golden Grove and $722 in May Pen, so May Pen is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,513 in Golden Grove and $1,083 in May Pen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Golden Grove. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,008 per month in Golden Grove versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,008 in Golden Grove, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Golden Grove. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.