Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Saint Andrew Parish

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrew Parish
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Saint Andrew Parish Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Saint Andrew Parish

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Saint Andrew Parish

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 Saint Andrew Parish actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish.

May Pen $722
Saint Andrew Parish $1,496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $2,422 in Saint Andrew Parish.

May Pen $818
Saint Andrew Parish $2,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $3,348 in Saint Andrew Parish.

May Pen $914
Saint Andrew Parish $3,348

Living in May Pen costs roughly 52% less than in Saint Andrew Parish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 47% below, Saint Andrew Parish is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.43 JMD 2,117

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 JMD 10.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 JMD 1,285

Cappuccino

$5.42 JMD 854

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

$1.20 JMD 190

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 354

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 508

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$3.38 JMD 532

-34.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$2.60 JMD 410

41.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.63 JMD 256

91.41%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.51 JMD 553

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 JMD 1,816

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.23 JMD 982

23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.36 JMD 1,634

-50.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.07 JMD 958

-73.64%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.98 JMD 628

23.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$4.94 JMD 780

28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$3.10 JMD 488

-40.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.32 JMD 524

-41.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.58 JMD 408

-25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$1.86 JMD 294

65.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$0.96 JMD 151

202.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.27 JMD 1,462

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,807

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.54 JMD 400

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 JMD 103

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 JMD 154

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 489

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 JMD 968

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.30 JMD 206

8.46%

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

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

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

$24.9K JMD 3.9M

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

$115 JMD 18.1K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.93 JMD 4,719

41.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$53.3 JMD 8,403

0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 JMD 9,479

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,119

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

$254 JMD 40.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,331 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.59 JMD 3,720

-32.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$31.28 JMD 4,933

-30.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

-46.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 JMD 130.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.4K

$534 JMD 84.2K

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 JMD 264.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 JMD 174.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,675 JMD 421.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 JMD 114.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrew Parish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$534 35.7%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$342 22.9%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$222 14.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$198 13.3%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$93 6.2%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$87 5.8%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Saint Andrew Parish

$19 * 1.3%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Saint Andrew Parish

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

555,995

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

May Pen Saint Andrew Parish 55 km

From you

May Pen
Saint Andrew Parish

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 Saint Andrew Parish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Saint Andrew Parish. 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 $2,244 in Saint Andrew Parish 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 23% higher in Saint Andrew Parish. 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 $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish – May Pen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Saint Andrew Parish. 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.