Montego Bay vs Paraty
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Paraty edges it, 61 to 57, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Montego Bay is stronger on nothing outright; Paraty on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Jamaica's resort capital with the island's main airport
Full Montego Bay profile →Where to stay in Montego Bay →UNESCO colonial harbour town between rainforest and the Costa Verde
Full Paraty profile →Where to stay in Paraty →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 41 | 50 ✓ |
| Safety | 37 ✓ | 35 |
| Healthcare | 63 | 72 ✓ |
| Internet | 64 | 72 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 77 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 49 | 56 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 80 | 83 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 64 ✓ | 54 |
Cost
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,639 | $1,300 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 40.36 | 18.69 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75.1 ✓ | 58.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 84 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 70.1 yrs | 72.4 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26.8 Mbps | 36.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 14 Mbps | 29.4 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,500/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 49 | 59 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Montego Bay | Paraty |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.8 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Montego Bay or Paraty?
- Paraty is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,639 for one person.
- Is Montego Bay or Paraty safer?
- Montego Bay scores higher on safety (37 vs 35), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Montego Bay or Paraty?
- Paraty: a measured median of 36.2 Mbps versus 26.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Montego Bay vs Placencia
- Montego Bay vs San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)
- Paraty vs Curitiba
- Paraty vs Brasília
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.