Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Andrew Parish and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrew Parish
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Saint Andrew Parish Living Index

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Saint Andrew Parish

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,496

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish versus $722 in May Pen.

Saint Andrew Parish $1,496
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,422 in Saint Andrew Parish versus $818 in May Pen.

Saint Andrew Parish $2,422
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in Saint Andrew Parish versus $914 in May Pen.

Saint Andrew Parish $3,348
May Pen $914

Living in Saint Andrew Parish is roughly 107% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Andrew Parish is 10% above, May Pen is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.43 JMD 2,117

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 JMD 10.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 JMD 1,285

Cappuccino

$5.42 JMD 854

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

$1.20 JMD 190

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 354

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 508

Milk (1 liter)

$3.38 JMD 532

$2.23 JMD 352

51.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 JMD 410

$3.69 JMD 583

-29.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 256

$3.12 JMD 492

-47.76%

Eggs

$3.51 JMD 553

$3.37 JMD 531

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 JMD 1,816

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 982

$7.67 JMD 1,209

-18.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 JMD 1,634

$5.10 JMD 804

103.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 JMD 958

$1.60 JMD 253

279.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.98 JMD 628

$4.93 JMD 777

-19.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 JMD 780

$6.33 JMD 998

-21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$1.85 JMD 291

67.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 524

$1.93 JMD 304

72.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 JMD 408

$1.93 JMD 304

33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 JMD 294

$3.08 JMD 485

-39.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 JMD 151

$2.90 JMD 458

-66.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.27 JMD 1,462

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,807

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 JMD 400

$2.26 JMD 357

12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 JMD 103

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 JMD 154

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 489

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 JMD 968

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 JMD 206

$1.41 JMD 223

-7.80%

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

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

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

$24.9K JMD 3.9M

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

$115 JMD 18.1K

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

$29.93 JMD 4,719

$42.49 JMD 6,701

-29.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 JMD 8,403

$53.7 JMD 8,463

-0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 JMD 9,479

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,119

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

$254 JMD 40.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,331 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.59 JMD 3,720

$15.88 JMD 2,503

48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 JMD 4,933

$21.63 JMD 3,411

44.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

$41.60 JMD 6,560

86.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

$52.7 JMD 8,310

41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 JMD 130.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 JMD 84.2K

$288 JMD 45.4K

85.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 JMD 264.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 JMD 174.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,675 JMD 421.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 JMD 114.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Saint Andrew Parish: October 25, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Andrew Parish

$534 35.7%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Saint Andrew Parish

$342 22.9%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Saint Andrew Parish

$222 14.9%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Andrew Parish

$198 13.3%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Andrew Parish

$93 6.2%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Andrew Parish

$87 5.8%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Saint Andrew Parish

$19 * 1.3%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Saint Andrew Parish

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Saint Andrew Parish

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

555,995

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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Saint Andrew Parish May Pen 55 km

From you

Saint Andrew Parish
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

Saint Andrew Parish vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Saint Andrew Parish. 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 $2,244 in Saint Andrew Parish 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 23% higher in Saint Andrew Parish. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,496 per month in Saint Andrew Parish versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Saint Andrew Parish. 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.