Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Manchioneal

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,007 in Manchioneal, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Manchioneal despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Manchioneal
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Manchioneal Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Manchioneal

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,007 in Manchioneal.

May Pen $722
Manchioneal $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,667 in Manchioneal.

May Pen $818
Manchioneal $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,327 in Manchioneal.

May Pen $914
Manchioneal $2,327

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

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Manchioneal 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 JMD 2,163

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 JMD 11.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 JMD 1,295

Cappuccino

$5.38 JMD 848

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

$1.15 JMD 181

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 344

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 506

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.24 JMD 669

-47.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.67 JMD 579

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.56 JMD 247

100.00%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.51 JMD 553

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 JMD 1,783

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.13 JMD 966

25.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.19 JMD 1,606

-49.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$5.90 JMD 930

-72.88%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.99 JMD 629

23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.26 JMD 1,146

-12.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.96 JMD 467

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.26 JMD 514

-40.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.70 JMD 426

-28.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.03 JMD 477

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.49 JMD 236

94.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,495

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)

$4.04 JMD 637

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 506

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 JMD 980

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.42 JMD 223

-0.70%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.96 JMD 4,724

41.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$51.9 JMD 8,178

3.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 JMD 2,113

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

$364 JMD 57.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,069 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.68 JMD 3,734

-32.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$30.92 JMD 4,876

-30.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$79.0 JMD 12.5K

-47.36%

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 Manchioneal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$382 37.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$251 24.9%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$224 22.2%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$106 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$27 * 2.7%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Manchioneal

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Manchioneal

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

2,321

💱 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 Manchioneal 100 km

From you

May Pen
Manchioneal

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 Manchioneal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $722 in May Pen and $1,007 in Manchioneal, 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 $1,511 in Manchioneal 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 37% higher in Manchioneal. 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 $1,007 in Manchioneal – May Pen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,007 in Manchioneal, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Manchioneal. 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.