Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Green Island

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Green Island
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Green Island Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Green Island

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Green Island

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 Green Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

May Pen $722
Green Island $1,009

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

May Pen $818
Green Island $1,670

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

May Pen $914
Green Island $2,332

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

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

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.10 JMD 646

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.70 JMD 584

-0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.62 JMD 255

92.59%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.47 JMD 547

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 JMD 1,806

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.34 JMD 1,000

20.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.40 JMD 1,640

-50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.09 JMD 960

-73.73%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.92 JMD 618

25.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.21 JMD 1,137

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$3.12 JMD 492

-40.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.17 JMD 500

-39.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.70 JMD 426

-28.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.10 JMD 489

-0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.51 JMD 238

92.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 JMD 1,454

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 JMD 1,779

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.80 JMD 441

-19.29%

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)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.47 JMD 232

-4.08%

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)

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.28 JMD 4,618

45.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$53.1 JMD 8,368

1.13%

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)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$24.02 JMD 3,788

-33.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$31.52 JMD 4,970

-31.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

-47.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$103 JMD 16.2K

-48.62%

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 Green Island: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Green Island

$384 38.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Green Island

$252 25%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Green Island

$222 22.1%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Green Island

$107 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Green Island

$27 * 2.7%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Green Island

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Green Island

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Green Island

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

2,546

💱 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 Green Island 120 km

From you

May Pen
Green Island

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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $1,513 in Green Island 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 $722 per month in May Pen versus $1,009 in Green Island – 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.