Montego Bay at a glance
- Montego Bay ranks 3rd of 4 priced cities in Jamaica on cost: $923 a month in essentials, 5% above Ocho Rios, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $595 covers that 0.6×.
- 92 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at parish level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.1 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Jamaica cities we track, so every row says whether Montego Bay is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $923 | $920 | $2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $220 | $220 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $315 | $346 | $32 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $163 | $190 | $28 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $279 | $264 | $16 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $223 | $216 | $6 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $38 | $44 | $6 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $595 | $1,285 | 2.16× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $945 | $945 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $945 | $945 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Montego Bay, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $10.63 | $0.39 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $75.59 | $64.07 | $11.52 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.82 | $8.82 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $5.31 | $4.42 | $0.89 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.20 | $2.20 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.15 | $3.15 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.90 | $1.08 | $0.18 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.71 | $0.71 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $3.31 | $3.20 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.70 | $2.71 | $0.01 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.41 | $1.50 | $0.09 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.54 | $3.54 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.41 | $11.41 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.30 | $6.30 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.17 | $5.11 | $0.94 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.52 | $2.83 | $0.31 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.52 | $2.78 | $0.26 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.52 | $3.24 | 1.29× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.65 | $2.58 | $0.06 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.79 | $1.34 | 1.70× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.94 | $1.72 | 1.82× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi start | $0.94 | $1.07 | $0.13 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.15 | $3.15 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.35 | $1.29 | $0.06 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $174.80 | $166.14 | $8.66 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $47.77 | $52.82 | $5.05 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $22.30 | $25.88 | $3.57 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $44.09 | $44.09 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.50 | $11.10 | 1.31× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Montego Bay has 92 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (parish level). That is the 2nd-highest of 4 Jamaica cities we track. Jamaica's national figure is 103.1, so Montego Bay runs 11 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Montego Bay ranks against every city we track
Montego Bay sits ahead of 86% of the 1074 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 79% of 1009. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 4% of 1022.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Montego Bay sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Montego Bay on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Montego Bay beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Montego Bay in the research deskOr unlock the Jamaica deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Data updated