Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spanish Town and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $994 in Spanish Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Spanish Town despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Spanish Town
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Spanish Town Living Index

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Spanish Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$994

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Spanish Town versus $722 in May Pen.

Spanish Town $994
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,895 in Spanish Town versus $819 in May Pen.

Spanish Town $1,895
May Pen $819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,796 in Spanish Town versus $916 in May Pen.

Spanish Town $2,796
May Pen $916

Living in Spanish Town is roughly 38% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Spanish Town 26% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 JMD 2,094

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 JMD 11.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 JMD 1,265

Cappuccino

$5.31 JMD 840

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

$1.14 JMD 179

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 355

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 483

Milk (1 liter)

$4.14 JMD 655

$2.26 JMD 357

83.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 JMD 594

$3.71 JMD 586

1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 260

$3.09 JMD 489

-46.60%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 562

$3.45 JMD 544

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 JMD 1,773

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 JMD 1,008

$7.66 JMD 1,210

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 JMD 1,614

$5.06 JMD 800

101.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 JMD 973

$1.55 JMD 244

297.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.85 JMD 609

$5.16 JMD 816

-25.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 JMD 1,166

$6.21 JMD 981

18.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 483

$1.93 JMD 306

58.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 500

$1.92 JMD 303

65.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 JMD 336

$1.83 JMD 289

16.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 JMD 489

$3.23 JMD 510

-4.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$2.77 JMD 437

-47.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 JMD 1,494

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 JMD 1,769

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$2.14 JMD 338

29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 JMD 624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 JMD 183

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 JMD 483

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 JMD 981

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.42 JMD 224

2.82%

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

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

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

$165 JMD 26.1K

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

$29.30 JMD 4,629

$42.80 JMD 6,762

-31.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,179

$53.5 JMD 8,447

-3.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 JMD 2,047

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

$356 JMD 56.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,212 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.80 JMD 3,760

$15.99 JMD 2,526

48.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

$21.55 JMD 3,405

44.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

$41.56 JMD 6,566

83.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

$53.3 JMD 8,421

88.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 JMD 45.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 JMD 100.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 JMD 182.5K

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 Spanish Town: October 11, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Spanish Town

$382 38.5%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spanish Town

$246 24.8%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Spanish Town

$219 22%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Spanish Town

$104 10.5%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Spanish Town

$26 * 2.6%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Spanish Town

$16 * 1.7%

May Pen

–

Accommodation & Living

Spanish Town

- * 0%

May Pen

–

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

Good to know

🇯🇲 Spanish Town

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

Same time as Spanish Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,056

44,755

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Spanish Town May Pen 32 km

From you

Spanish Town
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

Spanish Town vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Spanish Town. 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 $1,491 in Spanish Town 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 37% higher in Spanish Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $994 per month in Spanish Town versus $722 in May Pen – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though May Pen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Spanish Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.