Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

May Pen $722
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $819 in May Pen versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

May Pen $819
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $916 in May Pen versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

May Pen $916
Lisbon $4,319

Living in May Pen costs roughly 68% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 47% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JMD 357

$1.12 €1.00

101.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 JMD 586

$1.86 €1.65

99.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 JMD 489

$1.53 €1.36

101.96%

Eggs

$3.45 JMD 544

$3.96 €3.53

-12.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 JMD 1,210

$7.90 €7.02

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 JMD 800

$16.97 €15.09

-70.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 244

$2.27 €2.02

-31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$5.16 JMD 816

$1.75 €1.55

194.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 981

$1.85 €1.64

235.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 306

$2.57 €2.28

-24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 303

$1.86 €1.65

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 289

$2.02 €1.80

-9.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 JMD 510

$1.44 €1.28

124.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$0.82 €0.73

237.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 JMD 338

$1.28 €1.14

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 224

$2.28 €2.03

-37.72%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$42.80 JMD 6,762

$18.80 €16.72

127.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,447

$33.09 €29.43

61.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.99 JMD 2,526

$101 €90.1

-84.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.55 JMD 3,405

$45.76 €40.70

-52.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.56 JMD 6,566

$100.0 €88.9

-58.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 JMD 8,421

$123 €109

-56.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 JMD 45.4K

$1,197 €1,065

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for May Pen: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$66 3%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

15:04 3:04 PM

6 h ahead of May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

May Pen Lisbon 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

May Pen
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen and Lisbon differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($722 vs $2,223 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 $3,335 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.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $722 per month in May Pen versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $2,223 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 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.