Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Jamaica and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
Learn more

Santa Cruz Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Santa Cruz versus $722 in May Pen.

Santa Cruz $1,285
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Santa Cruz versus $818 in May Pen.

Santa Cruz $1,988
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Santa Cruz versus $914 in May Pen.

Santa Cruz $2,690
May Pen $914

Living in Santa Cruz is roughly 78% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 6% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 JMD 1,166

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 JMD 1,020

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 845

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

$1.16 JMD 183

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 358

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 487

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 640

$2.23 JMD 353

81.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 408

$3.69 JMD 584

-30.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$3.12 JMD 493

-49.68%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 549

$3.37 JMD 532

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,793

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 JMD 1,013

$7.67 JMD 1,213

-16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 JMD 1,646

$5.10 JMD 806

104.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 JMD 944

$1.60 JMD 254

273.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 606

$4.93 JMD 779

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.43 JMD 1,175

$6.33 JMD 1,001

17.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 476

$1.85 JMD 292

62.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 525

$1.93 JMD 305

72.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 417

$1.93 JMD 305

36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 476

$3.08 JMD 487

-2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 230

$2.90 JMD 459

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 JMD 1,498

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,824

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 457

$2.26 JMD 358

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 494

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 969

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.41 JMD 224

-1.42%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

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 26.3K

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

$29.57 JMD 4,678

$42.49 JMD 6,722

-30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,191

$53.7 JMD 8,490

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,075

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,125

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

$359 JMD 56.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.66 JMD 3,743

$15.88 JMD 2,511

48.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 JMD 5,038

$21.63 JMD 3,422

47.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.4K

$41.60 JMD 6,581

88.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 16.0K

$52.7 JMD 8,336

91.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 JMD 49.2K

$288 JMD 45.5K

8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 79.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.5K

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 Santa Cruz: 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

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$168 13%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,217

44,755

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.32 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.32 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz May Pen 47 km

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Santa Cruz. 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 $1,928 in Santa Cruz 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 33% higher in Santa Cruz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,285 per month in Santa Cruz versus $722 in May Pen – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,285 in Santa Cruz, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.