Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Santa Cruz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,285 in Santa Cruz.

May Pen $722
Santa Cruz $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,988 in Santa Cruz.

May Pen $818
Santa Cruz $1,988

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,690 in Santa Cruz.

May Pen $914
Santa Cruz $2,690

Living in May Pen costs roughly 44% less than in Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: May Pen 47% lower, Santa Cruz 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 JMD 1,165

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 JMD 1,018

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 844

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

$1.16 JMD 183

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.04 JMD 639

-44.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 584

$2.58 JMD 407

43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.57 JMD 248

98.73%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.47 JMD 549

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,790

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,212

$6.40 JMD 1,012

19.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 805

$10.41 JMD 1,644

-51.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$5.97 JMD 943

-73.20%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 778

$3.83 JMD 605

28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$7.43 JMD 1,173

-14.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 292

$3.01 JMD 475

-38.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.32 JMD 524

-41.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.64 JMD 417

-26.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 486

$3.01 JMD 476

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.45 JMD 230

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 JMD 1,497

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,821

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.89 JMD 457

-21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 633

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 493

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 968

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.39 JMD 220

1.44%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

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

$166 JMD 26.3K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,714

$29.57 JMD 4,673

43.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,479

$51.8 JMD 8,181

3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,067

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,123

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,508

$23.66 JMD 3,738

-32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,418

$31.85 JMD 5,032

-32.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,572

$78.3 JMD 12.4K

-46.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,326

$101 JMD 15.9K

-47.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.5K

$311 JMD 49.1K

-7.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.5K

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 Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$168 13%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

8,217

💱 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 Santa Cruz 47 km

From you

May Pen
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Santa Cruz. 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 $1,928 in Santa Cruz 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 33% higher in Santa Cruz. 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 $1,285 in Santa Cruz – May Pen is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,285 in Santa Cruz, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.