Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamako and Montego Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamako: $892 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$892

/mo nomad

Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamako and in Montego Bay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bamako and in Montego Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Bamako versus $1,169 in Montego Bay.

Bamako $892
Montego Bay $1,169

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,459 in Bamako versus $2,141 in Montego Bay.

Bamako $1,459
Montego Bay $2,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,025 in Bamako versus $3,113 in Montego Bay.

Bamako $2,025
Montego Bay $3,113

Living in Bamako costs roughly 24% less than in Montego Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bamako 34% lower, Montego Bay 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.68 F CFA 5,060

$11.14 JMD 1,760

-22.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.91 F CFA 20.9K

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

-51.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 F CFA 4,817

$8.35 JMD 1,319

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$1.62 F CFA 945

$5.22 JMD 825

-68.97%

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

$0.89 F CFA 519

$0.94 JMD 149

-5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 408

$0.70 JMD 110

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 F CFA 1,399

$2.17 JMD 343

10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$21.35 F CFA 12.4K

$3.06 JMD 484

597.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 F CFA 1,105

$3.30 JMD 522

-42.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 F CFA 2,193

$2.61 JMD 413

44.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

Eggs

$5.97 F CFA 3,484

$3.48 JMD 550

71.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.16 F CFA 10.6K

$11.24 JMD 1,775

61.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.85 F CFA 9,244

$6.13 JMD 968

158.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 F CFA 7,206

$9.05 JMD 1,430

36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 F CFA 2,284

$4.03 JMD 637

-2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 F CFA 603

$2.53 JMD 400

-59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 F CFA 1,614

$7.28 JMD 1,151

-61.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 F CFA 1,193

$2.45 JMD 388

-16.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 F CFA 697

$2.44 JMD 386

-50.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 F CFA 655

$2.66 JMD 420

-57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.10 F CFA 59.2

$2.55 JMD 403

-96.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 F CFA 1,622

$0.77 JMD 121

261.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 F CFA 867

$2.80 JMD 442

-46.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 F CFA 956

$4.05 JMD 640

-59.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 F CFA 712

$3.17 JMD 501

-61.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 F CFA 641

$1.35 JMD 214

-18.52%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

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

$148 F CFA 86.4K

$170 JMD 26.8K

-12.55%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 F CFA 37.6K

$47.32 JMD 7,477

36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.5 F CFA 40.5K

$44.55 JMD 7,038

56.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 JMD 1,367

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 JMD 3,713

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 JMD 4,866

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 F CFA 103.3K

$318 JMD 50.2K

-44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.7 F CFA 47.0K

$222 JMD 35.1K

-63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 F CFA 292.9K

$934 JMD 147.6K

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 F CFA 174.6K

$934 JMD 147.6K

-67.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 F CFA 714.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 F CFA 153.4K

$595 JMD 94.0K

-55.75%

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 Bamako: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bamako

$349 * 39.1%

Montego Bay

$323 27.7% 7.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamako

$213 * 23.8%

Montego Bay

$239 20.5% 12.5% $27

Eating Out

Bamako

$175 19.6%

Montego Bay

$200 17.1% 14.7% $26

Accommodation & Living

Bamako

$81 9%

Montego Bay

$222 19% 176% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Bamako

$70 * 7.8%

Montego Bay

$62 5.3% 11.1% $7.7

Getting Around

Bamako

$6.1 * 0.7%

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8% 238% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bamako

- * 0%

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $177 in Bamako and $318 in Montego Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montego Bay pays 126% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Bamako vs $74.0 in Montego Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $323, with Montego Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇱 Bamako

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

5 h behind Bamako

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,809,106 Capital

110,115

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bamako Montego Bay 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bamako
Montego Bay

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

Bamako vs Montego Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Montego Bay. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 126% lower in Montego Bay. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $177 in Bamako versus $318 in Montego Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $892 per month in Bamako versus $1,169 in Montego Bay – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Montego Bay pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $892 in Bamako versus $1,169 in Montego Bay, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bamako but tight or insufficient in Montego Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Bamako the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Montego Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.