Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $722 in May Pen.

Lisbon $2,223
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $819 in May Pen.

Lisbon $3,271
May Pen $819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $916 in May Pen.

Lisbon $4,319
May Pen $916

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, May Pen is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.26 JMD 357

-50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.71 JMD 586

-49.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$3.09 JMD 489

-50.49%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.45 JMD 544

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$7.66 JMD 1,210

3.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$5.06 JMD 800

235.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.55 JMD 244

46.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$5.16 JMD 816

-66.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$6.21 JMD 981

-70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.93 JMD 306

33.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.92 JMD 303

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.83 JMD 289

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$3.23 JMD 510

-55.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$2.77 JMD 437

-70.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.14 JMD 338

-40.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.42 JMD 224

60.56%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$18.80 €16.72

$42.80 JMD 6,762

-56.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$53.5 JMD 8,447

-38.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$15.99 JMD 2,526

533.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$21.55 JMD 3,405

112.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$41.56 JMD 6,566

140.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$53.3 JMD 8,421

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$287 JMD 45.4K

316.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

09:47 9:47 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

44,755

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon May Pen 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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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

Lisbon vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and May Pen differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,223 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 $3,335 in Lisbon 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.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $722 in May Pen – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and May Pen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.