Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $927 in Negril, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Negril despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Negril
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Negril Living Index

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Negril

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$927

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Negril versus $722 in May Pen.

Negril $927
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,478 in Negril versus $818 in May Pen.

Negril $1,478
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Negril versus $914 in May Pen.

Negril $2,029
May Pen $914

Living in Negril is roughly 28% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negril 32% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 JMD 1,526

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.26 JMD 7,767

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 JMD 1,269

Cappuccino

$2.05 JMD 323

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

$1.15 JMD 181

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 JMD 503

Milk (1 liter)

$4.02 JMD 634

$2.23 JMD 352

80.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 JMD 532

$3.69 JMD 583

-8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 JMD 249

$3.12 JMD 492

-49.36%

Eggs

$3.51 JMD 554

$3.37 JMD 531

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 JMD 1,773

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 998

$7.67 JMD 1,209

-17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 JMD 1,606

$5.10 JMD 804

99.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 956

$1.60 JMD 253

278.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.96 JMD 624

$4.93 JMD 777

-19.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.47 JMD 1,177

$6.33 JMD 998

18.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 471

$1.85 JMD 291

61.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 JMD 497

$1.93 JMD 304

63.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 JMD 406

$1.93 JMD 304

33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 472

$3.08 JMD 485

-2.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$2.90 JMD 458

-50.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 JMD 1,471

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 JMD 1,776

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 JMD 460

$2.26 JMD 357

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 JMD 622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 193

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 509

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 JMD 1,002

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JMD 232

$1.41 JMD 223

4.26%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

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 26.2K

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

$29.95 JMD 4,722

$42.49 JMD 6,701

-29.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 JMD 8,179

$53.7 JMD 8,463

-3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,090

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

$362 JMD 57.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,121 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,745

$15.88 JMD 2,503

49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 JMD 4,873

$21.63 JMD 3,411

42.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.1K

$41.60 JMD 6,560

84.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.4K

$52.7 JMD 8,310

96.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 JMD 158.5K

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 Negril: October 26, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negril

$378 40.8%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negril

$248 26.8%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Negril

$151 16.3%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Negril

$106 11.4%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Negril

$27 * 2.9%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Negril

$17 * 1.9%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Negril

- * 0%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Negril

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

Same time as Negril

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,779

44,755

💱 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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Negril May Pen 120 km

From you

Negril
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

Negril vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Negril. 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 $1,390 in Negril 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 35% higher in Negril. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $927 per month in Negril versus $722 in May Pen – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $927 in Negril, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Negril. 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.