Montego Bay vs San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) edges it, 61 to 57, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Montego Bay is stronger on nothing outright; San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) on air quality. 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 →Golf-cart island on the Belize Barrier Reef
Full San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) profile →Where to stay in San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 41 | no data |
| Safety | 37 | 46 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 63 | 65 ✓ |
| Internet | 64 ✓ | 62 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 49 ✓ | 44 |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 80 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 64 | 64 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,639 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 40.36 | 28.06 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75.1 | 79.8 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 ✓ | 70 |
| Life expectancy | 70.1 yrs | 73.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26.8 Mbps ✓ | 23.4 Mbps |
| Upload | 14 Mbps ✓ | 12.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 49 ✓ | 31 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Montego Bay | San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.8 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Montego Bay or San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Montego Bay or San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) safer?
- San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) scores higher on safety (46 vs 37), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Montego Bay or San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)?
- Montego Bay: a measured median of 26.8 Mbps versus 23.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Montego Bay vs Placencia
- Montego Bay vs Caye Caulker
- San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) vs Placencia
- San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) vs Caye Caulker
- 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); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.