Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Portmore

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,250 in Portmore, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,250 in Portmore.

May Pen $722
Portmore $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $2,081 in Portmore.

May Pen $818
Portmore $2,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,912 in Portmore.

May Pen $914
Portmore $2,912

Living in May Pen costs roughly 42% less than in Portmore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Portmore 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 JMD 1,598

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,975

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 JMD 1,262

Cappuccino

$5.27 JMD 833

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

$0.93 JMD 147

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JMD 96.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 345

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 345

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$3.18 JMD 502

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 584

$3.64 JMD 575

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.03 JMD 163

202.91%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.44 JMD 544

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 JMD 1,784

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,212

$6.22 JMD 982

23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 805

$9.49 JMD 1,499

-46.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$5.88 JMD 929

-72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 778

$3.94 JMD 622

25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$3.01 JMD 476

110.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 292

$3.02 JMD 477

-38.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.22 JMD 509

-40.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.57 JMD 406

-24.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 486

$1.55 JMD 245

98.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.25 JMD 197

132.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 JMD 1,499

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,811

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.87 JMD 454

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 JMD 342

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 JMD 355

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 JMD 7,917

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 494

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 JMD 1,017

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.26 JMD 200

11.90%

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)

$32.7K JMD 5.2M

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

$160 JMD 25.2K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,714

$28.89 JMD 4,564

47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,479

$52.8 JMD 8,346

1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 JMD 9,273

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 JMD 2,129

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

$281 JMD 44.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,157 JMD 498.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,508

$23.28 JMD 3,677

-31.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,418

$31.19 JMD 4,928

-30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,572

$77.0 JMD 12.2K

-45.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,326

$95.9 JMD 15.2K

-45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 JMD 49.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.5K

$218 JMD 34.4K

31.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 JMD 105.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 JMD 95.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,655 JMD 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,857 JMD 925.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 JMD 202.3K

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 Portmore: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Portmore

$337 27%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Portmore

$241 19.3%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Portmore

$218 17.4%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Portmore

$190 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Portmore

$102 8.2%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Portmore

$86 6.9%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Portmore

$76 6.1%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Portmore

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

170,000

💱 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 Portmore 41 km

From you

May Pen
Portmore

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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Portmore. 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 $1,875 in Portmore 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 21% higher in Portmore. 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 $1,250 in Portmore – May Pen is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,250 in Portmore, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Portmore. 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.