Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Montego Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Montego Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,169 in Montego Bay.

May Pen $722
Montego Bay $1,169

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $2,160 in Montego Bay.

May Pen $818
Montego Bay $2,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $3,152 in Montego Bay.

May Pen $914
Montego Bay $3,152

Living in May Pen costs roughly 38% less than in Montego Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Montego Bay 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 JMD 1,755

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 JMD 1,316

Cappuccino

$5.38 JMD 850

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

$0.86 JMD 136

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 JMD 352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$3.25 JMD 514

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 584

$2.64 JMD 418

39.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.38 JMD 218

126.09%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.50 JMD 553

-3.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,212

$6.35 JMD 1,004

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 805

$8.88 JMD 1,403

-42.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$4.28 JMD 676

-62.62%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 778

$2.56 JMD 404

92.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$7.18 JMD 1,134

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 292

$2.56 JMD 405

-27.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.50 JMD 395

-22.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.61 JMD 412

-26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 486

$2.50 JMD 395

23.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$0.80 JMD 127

262.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 JMD 1,501

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,812

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.89 JMD 457

-21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 144

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.39 JMD 220

1.44%

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

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

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)

$167 JMD 26.3K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,714

$22.32 JMD 3,526

90.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,479

$47.00 JMD 7,426

14.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 JMD 6,892

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 JMD 1,363

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,368 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,508

$23.16 JMD 3,659

-31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,418

$31.56 JMD 4,986

-31.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,572

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-39.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,326

$103 JMD 16.2K

-48.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.5K

$220 JMD 34.8K

30.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 JMD 93.2K

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 Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$327 28%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$236 20.2%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$220 18.8%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$202 17.3%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$102 8.7%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$61 5.2%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

110,115

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

May Pen Montego Bay 89 km

From you

May Pen
Montego Bay

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 Montego Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Montego Bay. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $1,753 in Montego Bay 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 17% higher in Montego Bay. 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 $1,169 in Montego Bay – May Pen is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,169 in Montego Bay, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Montego Bay. 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.