Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Mandeville

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $810 in Mandeville, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Mandeville despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Mandeville
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Mandeville Living Index

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Mandeville

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$810

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $810 in Mandeville.

May Pen $722
Mandeville $810

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,395 in Mandeville.

May Pen $818
Mandeville $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $1,980 in Mandeville.

May Pen $914
Mandeville $1,980

Living in May Pen costs roughly 11% less than in Mandeville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Mandeville 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 JMD 1,021

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 JMD 11.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 JMD 1,268

Cappuccino

$2.24 JMD 353

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

$1.12 JMD 176

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 JMD 108

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 344

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 JMD 450

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.25 JMD 670

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$1.77 JMD 279

108.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.56 JMD 246

100.00%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.63 JMD 572

-7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 JMD 1,830

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.23 JMD 983

23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.22 JMD 1,612

-50.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$5.99 JMD 944

-73.29%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.84 JMD 605

28.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.15 JMD 1,127

-11.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$3.07 JMD 484

-39.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.27 JMD 515

-40.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.62 JMD 413

-26.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.15 JMD 497

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.49 JMD 235

94.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 JMD 1,520

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,791

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.94 JMD 463

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 JMD 647

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 504

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 JMD 1,013

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.47 JMD 232

-4.08%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

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)

$95.0 JMD 15.0K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$22.22 JMD 3,505

91.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$50.9 JMD 8,033

5.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.28 JMD 2,095

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

$365 JMD 57.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,207 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.80 JMD 3,753

-33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$31.27 JMD 4,932

-30.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

-46.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$103 JMD 16.3K

-49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 JMD 73.6K

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 Mandeville: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$366 45.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$168 20.8%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$127 15.6%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$106 13.1%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$27 * 3.3%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Mandeville

$17 * 2.1%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Mandeville

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Mandeville

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

47,115

💱 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 Mandeville 27 km

From you

May Pen
Mandeville

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 Mandeville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $1,215 in Mandeville 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 31% higher in Mandeville. 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 $810 in Mandeville – May Pen is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $810 in Mandeville, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Mandeville. 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.