Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Old Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,005 in Old Harbour, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Old Harbour despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Old Harbour
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Old Harbour Living Index

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Old Harbour

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Old Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,005 in Old Harbour.

May Pen $722
Old Harbour $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,664 in Old Harbour.

May Pen $818
Old Harbour $1,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,322 in Old Harbour.

May Pen $914
Old Harbour $2,322

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 JMD 2,109

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 JMD 11.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.40 JMD 1,326

Cappuccino

$5.23 JMD 826

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

$1.14 JMD 180

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 JMD 115

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 509

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.24 JMD 670

-47.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 584

$3.83 JMD 605

-3.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.56 JMD 246

100.00%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.47 JMD 549

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 JMD 1,807

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,212

$6.34 JMD 1,002

20.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 805

$10.13 JMD 1,601

-49.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.06 JMD 958

-73.60%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 778

$4.00 JMD 632

23.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$7.38 JMD 1,165

-14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 292

$3.01 JMD 475

-38.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.23 JMD 510

-40.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.60 JMD 411

-25.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 486

$3.02 JMD 478

1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.50 JMD 236

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.31 JMD 1,470

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 JMD 1,779

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.85 JMD 450

-20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 510

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 JMD 1,020

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.46 JMD 231

-3.42%

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)

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

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

$165 JMD 26.1K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,714

$29.91 JMD 4,725

42.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,479

$53.8 JMD 8,501

-0.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 JMD 2,130

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

$358 JMD 56.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,285 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,508

$23.81 JMD 3,762

-33.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,418

$31.92 JMD 5,044

-32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,572

$78.5 JMD 12.4K

-47.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,326

$102 JMD 16.1K

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.5K

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 Old Harbour: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$386 38.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$249 24.8%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$220 21.9%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$106 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$27 * 2.7%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Old Harbour

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Old Harbour

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

26,024

💱 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

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Between locations

May Pen Old Harbour 16 km

From you

May Pen
Old Harbour

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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Old Harbour. 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 $1,507 in Old Harbour 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 38% higher in Old Harbour. 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 $1,005 in Old Harbour – May Pen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,005 in Old Harbour, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Old Harbour. 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.