Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gordon Town and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,002 in Gordon Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Gordon Town despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Gordon Town
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Gordon Town Living Index

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Gordon Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,002

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gordon Town 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 Gordon Town and in May Pen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,002 per month in Gordon Town vs $722 in May Pen, rent included.

Gordon Town $1,002
May Pen $722

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Gordon Town vs $819 in May Pen, rent included.

Gordon Town $1,657
May Pen $819

A family of three spends $2,311 per month in Gordon Town vs $916 in May Pen, rent included.

Gordon Town $2,311
May Pen $916

Gordon Town costs about 39% more than May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Gordon Town and May Pen are more affordable than the global median – Gordon Town 26% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.39 JMD 2,116

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 JMD 11.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 JMD 1,269

Cappuccino

$5.17 JMD 817

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

$1.20 JMD 189

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 JMD 108

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

Milk (1 liter)

$4.24 JMD 670

$2.26 JMD 357

87.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 JMD 588

$3.71 JMD 586

0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 258

$3.09 JMD 489

-47.25%

Eggs

$3.45 JMD 545

$3.45 JMD 544

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,790

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 1,001

$7.66 JMD 1,210

-17.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 JMD 1,622

$5.06 JMD 800

102.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 955

$1.55 JMD 244

290.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.97 JMD 627

$5.16 JMD 816

-23.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.20 JMD 1,138

$6.21 JMD 981

15.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$1.93 JMD 306

61.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 JMD 513

$1.92 JMD 303

69.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JMD 427

$1.83 JMD 289

47.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 490

$3.23 JMD 510

-4.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$2.77 JMD 437

-45.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 JMD 1,521

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 JMD 1,771

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 452

$2.14 JMD 338

33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 JMD 643

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 JMD 185

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JMD 983

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JMD 230

$1.42 JMD 224

2.82%

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

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

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

$29.50 JMD 4,660

$42.80 JMD 6,762

-31.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 JMD 8,148

$53.5 JMD 8,447

-3.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 JMD 2,047

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

$366 JMD 57.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,205 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.45 JMD 3,704

$15.99 JMD 2,526

46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 JMD 4,931

$21.55 JMD 3,405

44.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 JMD 12.0K

$41.56 JMD 6,566

82.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$53.3 JMD 8,421

93.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 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 Gordon Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gordon Town

$385 38.4%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gordon Town

$250 25%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Gordon Town

$218 21.8%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Gordon Town

$105 10.5%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Gordon Town

$26 * 2.6%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Gordon Town

$17 * 1.7%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Gordon Town

- * 0%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Gordon Town

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Gordon Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,088

44,755

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gordon Town May Pen 57 km

From you

Gordon Town
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

Gordon Town vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gordon Town is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,503 per month in Gordon Town and $1,083 in May Pen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,002 in Gordon Town and $722 in May Pen. That's a gap of about 39%.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Gordon Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,002 in Gordon Town and $722 in May Pen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward May Pen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with May Pen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gordon Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.