Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in May Pen versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $973 in May Pen versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,316 in May Pen versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in May Pen costs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 53% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

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

$2.24 €1.93

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 JMD 351

$1.14 €0.98

96.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 576

$1.75 €1.51

110.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 JMD 498

$1.76 €1.51

80.68%

Eggs

$3.46 JMD 542

$3.22 €2.77

7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 JMD 1,196

$7.91 €6.81

-3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.09 JMD 797

$15.87 €13.65

-67.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 240

$2.31 €1.99

-33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$5.11 JMD 801

$1.70 €1.46

200.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 JMD 952

$2.01 €1.73

202.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 299

$2.46 €2.12

-22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 302

$1.84 €1.59

4.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 290

$2.00 €1.72

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 JMD 501

$1.93 €1.66

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$0.79 €0.68

267.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 JMD 348

$1.37 €1.17

62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 JMD 130

$2.37 €2.04

-64.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 222

$2.06 €1.78

-31.55%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

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

$41.74 JMD 6,540

$20.52 €17.65

103.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.36 JMD 6,167

$39.61 €34.08

-0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

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

$313 JMD 49.0K

$614 €528

-49.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.86 JMD 2,485

$105 €90.0

-84.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.62 JMD 3,388

$42.06 €36.18

-48.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.73 JMD 6,382

$94.0 €80.8

-56.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.5 JMD 8,379

$120 €103

-55.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 JMD 27.7K

$1,628 €1,400

-89.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 JMD 33.9K

$1,255 €1,080

-82.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.2K

$3,030 €2,607

-81.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 JMD 69.5K

$2,020 €1,738

-78.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for May Pen: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $177 in May Pen and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen and Lisbon differ by about 251% in total monthly costs ($630 vs $2,210 including rent). May Pen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $945 in May Pen and $3,315 in Lisbon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $177 in May Pen versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in May Pen versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $630 per month in May Pen versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 251% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $630 in May Pen versus $2,210 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, May Pen and Lisbon 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 251% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.