Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Spanish Town

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,009 in Spanish Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Spanish Town despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Spanish Town
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Spanish Town Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Spanish Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Spanish Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,009 in Spanish Town.

May Pen $722
Spanish Town $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in May Pen versus $1,922 in Spanish Town.

May Pen $818
Spanish Town $1,922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in May Pen versus $2,834 in Spanish Town.

May Pen $914
Spanish Town $2,834

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 JMD 2,163

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 JMD 11.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 JMD 1,331

Cappuccino

$5.23 JMD 826

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

$1.16 JMD 183

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 118

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 346

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 500

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 JMD 352

$4.21 JMD 666

-47.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 584

$3.69 JMD 583

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.64 JMD 260

90.24%

Eggs

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.53 JMD 558

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 JMD 1,804

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,212

$6.34 JMD 1,002

20.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.10 JMD 805

$10.17 JMD 1,607

-49.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$6.07 JMD 959

-73.64%

Banana (1kg)

$4.93 JMD 778

$3.82 JMD 603

29.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$7.56 JMD 1,195

-16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 292

$2.97 JMD 469

-37.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$3.23 JMD 510

-40.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.03 JMD 321

-4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 486

$3.13 JMD 494

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.46 JMD 230

98.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.58 JMD 1,513

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 JMD 1,807

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 358

$2.88 JMD 456

-21.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 JMD 617

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 203

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 JMD 491

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 JMD 980

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

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

$44.0K JMD 7.0M

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

$32.5K JMD 5.1M

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

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

$42.49 JMD 6,714

$28.96 JMD 4,575

46.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 JMD 8,479

$52.6 JMD 8,314

2.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 JMD 2,105

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

$360 JMD 56.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,371 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.88 JMD 2,508

$23.26 JMD 3,674

-31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.63 JMD 3,418

$31.95 JMD 5,048

-32.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.60 JMD 6,572

$79.1 JMD 12.5K

-47.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 JMD 8,326

$104 JMD 16.5K

-49.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 JMD 45.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 JMD 98.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 JMD 81.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,178 JMD 186.0K

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 Spanish Town: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$383 38%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$252 25%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$222 22%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$107 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$27 * 2.6%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

$17 * 1.7%

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Spanish Town

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇯🇲 Spanish Town

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

131,056

💱 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 Spanish Town 32 km

From you

May Pen
Spanish Town

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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Spanish Town. 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 $1,514 in Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town. 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 $1,009 in Spanish Town – May Pen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,009 in Spanish Town, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Spanish Town. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.