Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Saint Ann's Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Saint Ann’s Bay despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint Ann's Bay
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Saint Ann's Bay Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Saint Ann's Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Saint Ann's 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 Saint Ann's Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

May Pen $722
Saint Ann's Bay $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,600 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

May Pen $818
Saint Ann's Bay $1,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,195 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

May Pen $914
Saint Ann's Bay $2,195

Living in May Pen costs roughly 28% less than in Saint Ann’s Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Saint Ann’s Bay 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 JMD 2,105

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 JMD 7,922

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 JMD 1,311

Cappuccino

$5.46 JMD 862

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

$1.20 JMD 190

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 354

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 JMD 492

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.07 JMD 641

-45.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 583

$3.74 JMD 589

-1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 492

$1.63 JMD 258

91.41%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 531

$3.47 JMD 547

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,766

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,209

$6.20 JMD 978

23.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 804

$10.09 JMD 1,591

-49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.00 JMD 946

-73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 777

$3.99 JMD 629

23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.53 JMD 1,187

-15.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.98 JMD 469

-37.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.28 JMD 518

-41.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.62 JMD 414

-26.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.15 JMD 497

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.44 JMD 226

101.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.30 JMD 1,467

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 JMD 1,802

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 357

$2.95 JMD 464

-23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 JMD 636

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 JMD 204

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 JMD 1,016

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.30 JMD 205

8.46%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

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)

$169 JMD 26.6K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,701

$29.03 JMD 4,577

46.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,463

$52.9 JMD 8,346

1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 JMD 2,114

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

$366 JMD 57.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,305 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,503

$23.59 JMD 3,719

-32.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,411

$31.44 JMD 4,957

-31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,560

$78.3 JMD 12.4K

-46.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,310

$101 JMD 16.0K

-48.02%

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 Saint Ann's Bay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$383 38.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$251 24.9%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$222 22.1%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$106 10.5%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$27 * 2.7%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Saint Ann's Bay

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Saint Ann's Bay

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

13,671

💱 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 Saint Ann's Bay 52 km

From you

May Pen
Saint Ann's 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 Saint Ann's Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Saint Ann’s 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 $1,508 in Saint Ann’s 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 37% higher in Saint Ann’s 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 $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Saint Ann’s 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.