Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Golden Grove

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

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Golden Grove

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Golden Grove actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

May Pen $722
Golden Grove $1,008

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

May Pen $818
Golden Grove $1,665

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

May Pen $914
Golden Grove $2,322

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

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

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.15 JMD 655

-46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.71 JMD 586

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.56 JMD 246

100.00%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.46 JMD 545

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 JMD 1,771

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.13 JMD 967

25.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.14 JMD 1,598

-49.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.17 JMD 973

-74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.83 JMD 603

28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.32 JMD 1,155

-13.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.96 JMD 466

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.15 JMD 497

-38.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.61 JMD 411

-26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.14 JMD 496

-1.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.44 JMD 226

101.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.30 JMD 1,467

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 JMD 1,771

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.80 JMD 442

-19.29%

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)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.45 JMD 228

-2.76%

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)

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.71 JMD 4,686

43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$53.1 JMD 8,379

1.00%

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)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.46 JMD 3,700

-32.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$32.03 JMD 5,052

-32.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

-47.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$101 JMD 16.0K

-47.91%

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 Golden Grove: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$380 37.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$254 25.2%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$225 22.3%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$106 10.5%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$27 * 2.6%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Golden Grove

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Golden Grove

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

3,058

💱 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 Golden Grove 100 km

From you

May Pen
Golden Grove

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 Golden Grove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $722 in May Pen and $1,008 in Golden Grove, 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 $1,513 in Golden Grove 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 $722 per month in May Pen versus $1,008 in Golden Grove – 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.