Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,250 in Portmore, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index

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Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,250

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Portmore versus $722 in May Pen.

Portmore $1,250
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,081 in Portmore versus $818 in May Pen.

Portmore $2,081
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,912 in Portmore versus $914 in May Pen.

Portmore $2,912
May Pen $914

Living in Portmore is roughly 73% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portmore 8% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 JMD 1,598

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,975

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 JMD 1,262

Cappuccino

$5.27 JMD 833

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

$0.93 JMD 147

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JMD 96.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 345

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 345

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 JMD 502

$2.23 JMD 352

42.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 575

$3.69 JMD 584

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 JMD 163

$3.12 JMD 493

-66.99%

Eggs

$3.44 JMD 544

$3.37 JMD 532

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 JMD 1,784

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 982

$7.67 JMD 1,212

-18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 JMD 1,499

$5.10 JMD 805

86.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 JMD 929

$1.60 JMD 253

267.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.94 JMD 622

$4.93 JMD 778

-20.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 476

$6.33 JMD 1,000

-52.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 JMD 477

$1.85 JMD 292

63.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 JMD 509

$1.93 JMD 304

66.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 JMD 406

$1.93 JMD 305

33.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 JMD 245

$3.08 JMD 486

-49.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 JMD 197

$2.90 JMD 458

-56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 JMD 1,499

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,811

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 454

$2.26 JMD 358

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 JMD 342

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 JMD 355

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 JMD 7,917

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 494

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 JMD 1,017

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 JMD 200

$1.41 JMD 223

-10.64%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

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

$32.7K JMD 5.2M

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

$160 JMD 25.2K

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

$28.89 JMD 4,564

$42.49 JMD 6,714

-32.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 JMD 8,346

$53.7 JMD 8,479

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 JMD 9,273

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 JMD 2,129

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

$281 JMD 44.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,157 JMD 498.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.28 JMD 3,677

$15.88 JMD 2,508

46.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.19 JMD 4,928

$21.63 JMD 3,418

44.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 JMD 12.2K

$41.60 JMD 6,572

85.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 JMD 15.2K

$52.7 JMD 8,326

82.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 JMD 49.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.4K

$288 JMD 45.5K

-24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 JMD 105.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 JMD 95.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,655 JMD 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,857 JMD 925.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 JMD 202.3K

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 Portmore: October 27, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Portmore

$337 27%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portmore

$241 19.3%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Portmore

$218 17.4%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Portmore

$190 15.2%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Portmore

$102 8.2%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Portmore

$86 6.9%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Portmore

$76 6.1%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇯🇲 Portmore

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

Same time as Portmore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Portmore May Pen 41 km

From you

Portmore
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

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

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Portmore. 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 $1,875 in Portmore 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 21% higher in Portmore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,250 per month in Portmore versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,250 in Portmore, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Portmore. 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.