Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Cave Valley

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,003 in Cave Valley, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Cave Valley despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cave Valley
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Cave Valley Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Cave Valley

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Cave Valley

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,003 in Cave Valley.

May Pen $722
Cave Valley $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,661 in Cave Valley.

May Pen $818
Cave Valley $1,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,318 in Cave Valley.

May Pen $914
Cave Valley $2,318

Living in May Pen costs roughly 28% less than in Cave Valley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.51 JMD 2,130

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 JMD 11.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 JMD 1,328

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 843

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

$1.15 JMD 182

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 341

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 482

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.16 JMD 656

-46.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.68 JMD 580

0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.59 JMD 250

96.23%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.63 JMD 572

-7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,821

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.21 JMD 979

23.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.36 JMD 1,634

-50.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.15 JMD 969

-73.98%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.93 JMD 620

25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.51 JMD 1,185

-15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.98 JMD 470

-37.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.30 JMD 520

-41.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.73 JMD 430

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.01 JMD 475

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.50 JMD 237

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 JMD 1,458

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,818

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.78 JMD 438

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 201

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 504

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.41 JMD 1,011

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.40 JMD 221

0.71%

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

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

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

$166 JMD 26.1K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.39 JMD 4,635

44.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$52.0 JMD 8,201

3.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 JMD 2,070

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

$368 JMD 58.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,266 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.60 JMD 3,722

-32.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$31.02 JMD 4,891

-30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

-45.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$103 JMD 16.3K

-48.88%

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 May Pen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cave Valley: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$386 38.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$247 24.6%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$222 22.1%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$105 10.5%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$26 * 2.6%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Cave Valley

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Cave Valley

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

May Pen Cave Valley 110 km

From you

May Pen
Cave Valley

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

May Pen vs Cave Valley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $722 in May Pen and $1,003 in Cave Valley, so May Pen is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $1,505 in Cave Valley 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 Cave Valley. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $722 per month in May Pen versus $1,003 in Cave Valley – May Pen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,003 in Cave Valley, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Cave Valley. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.