Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in May Pen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montego Bay and in May Pen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,169 in Montego Bay versus $722 in May Pen.

Montego Bay $1,169
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,160 in Montego Bay versus $818 in May Pen.

Montego Bay $2,160
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,152 in Montego Bay versus $914 in May Pen.

Montego Bay $3,152
May Pen $914

Living in Montego Bay is roughly 62% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montego Bay 14% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 JMD 1,755

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 JMD 1,316

Cappuccino

$5.38 JMD 850

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

$0.86 JMD 136

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 JMD 352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 JMD 514

$2.23 JMD 352

45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 JMD 418

$3.69 JMD 584

-28.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 218

$3.12 JMD 493

-55.77%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 553

$3.37 JMD 532

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,004

$7.67 JMD 1,212

-17.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 JMD 1,403

$5.10 JMD 805

74.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 JMD 676

$1.60 JMD 253

167.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 404

$4.93 JMD 778

-48.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.18 JMD 1,134

$6.33 JMD 1,000

13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 405

$1.85 JMD 292

38.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 JMD 395

$1.93 JMD 304

29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 412

$1.93 JMD 305

35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 JMD 395

$3.08 JMD 486

-18.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 JMD 127

$2.90 JMD 458

-72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 JMD 1,501

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,812

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 457

$2.26 JMD 358

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 144

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.41 JMD 223

-1.42%

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

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

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

$167 JMD 26.3K

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

$22.32 JMD 3,526

$42.49 JMD 6,714

-47.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 JMD 7,426

$53.7 JMD 8,479

-12.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 JMD 6,892

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 JMD 1,363

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,368 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.16 JMD 3,659

$15.88 JMD 2,508

45.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.56 JMD 4,986

$21.63 JMD 3,418

45.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$41.60 JMD 6,572

65.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$52.7 JMD 8,326

94.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 JMD 34.8K

$288 JMD 45.5K

-23.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 JMD 93.2K

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 Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$327 28%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$236 20.2%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$220 18.8%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$202 17.3%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$102 8.7%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$61 5.2%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

44,755

💱 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

Montego Bay May Pen 89 km

From you

Montego Bay
May Pen

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

Montego Bay vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Montego 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 $1,753 in Montego Bay and $1,083 in May Pen 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 17% higher in Montego Bay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,169 per month in Montego Bay versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,169 in Montego Bay, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Montego 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.