Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,009 in Green Island, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Green Island despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Green Island
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Green Island Living Index

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Green Island

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,009 in Green Island versus $722 in May Pen.

Green Island $1,009
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,670 in Green Island versus $818 in May Pen.

Green Island $1,670
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,332 in Green Island versus $914 in May Pen.

Green Island $2,332
May Pen $914

Living in Green Island 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: Green Island 26% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 JMD 2,159

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 JMD 12.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 JMD 1,273

Cappuccino

$5.33 JMD 840

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

$1.20 JMD 190

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 482

Milk (1 liter)

$4.10 JMD 646

$2.23 JMD 352

83.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 JMD 584

$3.69 JMD 583

0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$3.12 JMD 492

-48.08%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 547

$3.37 JMD 531

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 JMD 1,806

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 1,000

$7.67 JMD 1,209

-17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,640

$5.10 JMD 804

103.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 960

$1.60 JMD 253

280.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.92 JMD 618

$4.93 JMD 777

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.21 JMD 1,137

$6.33 JMD 998

13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.85 JMD 291

68.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 500

$1.93 JMD 304

64.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JMD 426

$1.93 JMD 304

39.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.08 JMD 485

0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$2.90 JMD 458

-47.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 JMD 1,454

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 JMD 1,779

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 441

$2.26 JMD 357

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 JMD 644

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 492

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 JMD 971

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.41 JMD 223

4.26%

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

$43.5K JMD 6.9M

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

$33.4K JMD 5.3M

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

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

$29.28 JMD 4,618

$42.49 JMD 6,701

-31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,368

$53.7 JMD 8,463

-1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 JMD 2,126

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

$355 JMD 55.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,242 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.02 JMD 3,788

$15.88 JMD 2,503

51.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 JMD 4,970

$21.63 JMD 3,411

45.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$41.60 JMD 6,560

89.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$52.7 JMD 8,310

94.61%

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 Green Island: October 24, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Green Island

$384 38.1%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Green Island

$252 25%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Green Island

$222 22.1%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Green Island

$107 10.6%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Green Island

$27 * 2.7%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Green Island

$17 * 1.7%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Green Island

- * 0%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Green Island

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Green Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,546

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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Between locations

Green Island May Pen 120 km

From you

Green Island
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

Green Island vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Green Island and May Pen differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,009 vs $722 including rent). May Pen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,513 in Green Island 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 38% higher in Green Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,009 per month in Green Island versus $722 in May Pen – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,009 in Green Island, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Green Island. 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.