Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Yokneam Illit

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $2,766 in Yokneam Illit, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montego Bay, Jamaica
Yokneam Illit, Israel
Montego Bay
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,169
/mo nomad
Yokneam Illit
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,766
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in Yokneam Illit

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 Yokneam Illit actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,766 in Yokneam Illit, rent included.

  • Montego Bay $1,169
  • Yokneam Illit $2,766

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Montego Bay vs $4,078 in Yokneam Illit, rent included.

  • Montego Bay $2,160
  • Yokneam Illit $4,078

A family of three spends $3,152 per month in Montego Bay vs $5,390 in Yokneam Illit, rent included.

  • Montego Bay $3,152
  • Yokneam Illit $5,390

Montego Bay is about 58% cheaper than Yokneam Illit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montego Bay sits 14% below the global median, while Yokneam Illit is 103% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.11 JMD 1,752
$25.77 ₪78.9
-56.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.2 JMD 12.0K
$95.6 ₪293
-20.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.33 JMD 1,314
$19.11 ₪58.5
-56.41%
Cappuccino
$5.38 JMD 848
$4.54 ₪13.91
18.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 JMD 136
$3.57 ₪10.94
-75.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 JMD 117
$2.66 ₪8.15
-72.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 JMD 351
$9.77 ₪29.92
-77.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 JMD 506
$10.15 ₪31.08
-68.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.25 JMD 513
$2.53 ₪7.76
28.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 JMD 417
$3.60 ₪11.01
-26.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 JMD 218
$3.38 ₪10.35
-59.17%
Eggs
$3.50 JMD 552
$4.47 ₪13.68
-21.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 JMD 1,797
$13.15 ₪40.28
-13.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.35 JMD 1,002
$12.84 ₪39.33
-50.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.88 JMD 1,400
$23.31 ₪71.4
-61.90%
Apples (1kg)
$4.28 JMD 675
$5.65 ₪17.31
-24.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.56 JMD 403
$2.87 ₪8.79
-10.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.18 JMD 1,132
$2.31 ₪7.06
210.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 JMD 404
$2.59 ₪7.95
-1.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 JMD 394
$1.98 ₪6.06
26.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.61 JMD 411
$1.76 ₪5.38
48.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 JMD 394
$2.38 ₪7.29
5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 JMD 127
$2.54 ₪7.79
-68.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.50 JMD 1,498
$10.03 ₪30.72
-5.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.47 JMD 1,809
$13.09 ₪40.08
-12.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.89 JMD 456
$3.23 ₪9.90
-10.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 JMD 620
$4.00 ₪12.24
-1.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 JMD 150
$2.51 ₪7.70
-62.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$114 ₪348
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.91 JMD 143
$4.25 ₪13.00
-78.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.17 JMD 500
$1.20 ₪3.66
164.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.33 JMD 998
$36.40 ₪111
-82.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 JMD 220
$2.59 ₪7.94
-46.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.9K JMD 6.9M
$54.6K ₪167.4K
-19.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K JMD 5.2M
$53.7K ₪164.4K
-38.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 JMD 26.3K
$263 ₪806
-36.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.32 JMD 3,519
$11.72 ₪35.90
90.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.00 JMD 7,412
$36.22 ₪111
29.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.62 JMD 6,879
$86.7 ₪266
-49.69%
Cinema Ticket
$8.63 JMD 1,360
$15.76 ₪48.26
-45.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$365 JMD 57.5K
$1,157 ₪3,543
-68.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,368 JMD 1.3M
$28.8K ₪88.1K
-70.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.16 JMD 3,652
$103 ₪317
-77.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.56 JMD 4,977
$65.6 ₪201
-51.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.9 JMD 10.9K
$133 ₪407
-48.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 JMD 16.2K
$156 ₪479
-34.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$313 JMD 49.3K
$1,646 ₪5,040
-81.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$220 JMD 34.7K
$1,150 ₪3,522
-80.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$951 JMD 150.0K
$2,482 ₪7,600
-61.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$955 JMD 150.7K
$1,798 ₪5,506
-46.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$10.4K ₪31.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$7,275 ₪22.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montego Bay
Yokneam Illit
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 JMD 93.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
5.04
87.50%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yokneam Illit: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Montego Bay
$327
Yokneam Illit
$434 32.7% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montego Bay
$236
Yokneam Illit
$311 31.8% $75
Accommodation & Living
Montego Bay
$220
Yokneam Illit
$1.2K 423% $930
Eating Out
Montego Bay
$202
Yokneam Illit
$412 104% $210
Clothing & Footwear
Montego Bay
$102
Yokneam Illit
$206 103% $104
Sport & Entertainment
Montego Bay
$61
Yokneam Illit
$118 94.2% $57
Getting Around
Montego Bay
$21 *
Yokneam Illit
$134 552% $113

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Montego Bay versus $1,646 in Yokneam Illit. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Montego Bay versus $96 in Yokneam Illit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $434 – making Montego Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Montego Bay
🇮🇱 Yokneam Illit
🕒 Local time
09:09 9:09 AM
16:09 4:09 PM
7 h ahead of Montego Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,115
22,746
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.41 ILS (1 ILS = 0.293 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montego Bay Yokneam Illit 10,910 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montego Bay
  • Yokneam Illit

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 Yokneam Illit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montego Bay or Yokneam Illit?
Yokneam Illit costs about 137% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montego Bay and in Yokneam Illit?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $4,148 in Yokneam Illit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montego Bay or Yokneam Illit?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $1,646 in Yokneam Illit.
How do dining costs compare in Montego Bay and in Yokneam Illit?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Montego Bay and $96 in Yokneam Illit. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montego Bay or in Yokneam Illit?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Yokneam Illit, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montego Bay or in Yokneam Illit?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,169 in Montego Bay and $2,766 in Yokneam Illit. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Montego Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Montego Bay vs other spots: cost of living compared

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