Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Gordon Town

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,004 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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Gordon Town
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Gordon Town Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Gordon Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Gordon Town

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 Gordon Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $722 per month in May Pen vs $1,004 in Gordon Town, rent included.

May Pen $722
Gordon Town $1,004

A couple spends around $818 per month in May Pen vs $1,663 in Gordon Town, rent included.

May Pen $818
Gordon Town $1,663

A family of three spends $914 per month in May Pen vs $2,323 in Gordon Town, rent included.

May Pen $914
Gordon Town $2,323

May Pen is about 28% cheaper than Gordon Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.56 JMD 2,138

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 JMD 1,268

Cappuccino

$5.25 JMD 827

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

$1.15 JMD 181

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 355

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 490

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.23 JMD 667

-47.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.85 JMD 607

-4.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.63 JMD 257

91.41%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.51 JMD 554

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 JMD 1,770

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.45 JMD 1,018

18.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.39 JMD 1,638

-50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$5.94 JMD 936

-73.06%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.92 JMD 618

25.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.29 JMD 1,149

-13.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$3.09 JMD 488

-40.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.16 JMD 499

-38.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.67 JMD 421

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.14 JMD 496

-1.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.43 JMD 226

102.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 JMD 1,475

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 JMD 1,792

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.84 JMD 447

-20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 611

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 JMD 491

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 JMD 1,022

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.47 JMD 231

-4.08%

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

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

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

$165 JMD 26.1K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.89 JMD 4,713

42.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$53.6 JMD 8,451

0.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 JMD 2,051

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

$365 JMD 57.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,361 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.25 JMD 3,666

-31.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$32.04 JMD 5,052

-32.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$78.0 JMD 12.3K

-46.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$103 JMD 16.3K

-48.94%

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 Gordon Town: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$386 38.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$249 24.8%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$221 22%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$106 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$26 * 2.6%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Gordon Town

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Gordon Town

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

1,088

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

May Pen Gordon Town 57 km

From you

May Pen
Gordon Town

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 Gordon Town: 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 $1,083 per month in May Pen and $1,506 in Gordon Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $722 in May Pen and $1,004 in Gordon Town. That makes May Pen about 28% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Gordon Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in May Pen, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Gordon Town at $1,004. In May Pen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gordon Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Gordon Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $722 in May Pen to $1,004 in Gordon Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.