Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Kingston is roughly 20% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 8% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,192

$10.80 ₾28.71

-29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,707

$43.18 ₾115

43.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,379

$8.29 ₾22.04

6.15%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 682

$3.00 ₾7.97

45.33%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$0.82 ₾2.17

60.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.46 ₾1.21

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 403

$2.23 ₾5.93

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 501

$2.92 ₾7.75

9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 684

$1.93 ₾5.12

125.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 573

$0.68 ₾1.81

438.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 246

$1.88 ₾5.00

-16.49%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 543

$2.54 ₾6.74

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,754

$7.42 ₾19.70

50.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,007

$6.19 ₾16.44

3.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,225

$9.36 ₾24.87

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 933

$1.22 ₾3.25

388.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 491

$1.66 ₾4.40

88.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 673

$1.80 ₾4.78

138.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$2.24 ₾5.96

32.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$0.71 ₾1.89

185.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$0.67 ₾1.79

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$1.18 ₾3.13

164.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 227

$0.66 ₾1.76

119.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,393

$2.98 ₾7.91

198.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,769

$7.61 ₾20.22

48.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$1.54 ₾4.08

88.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$2.25 ₾5.99

42.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$0.36 ₾0.95

147.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,604

$14.44 ₾38.38

236.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.49 ₾3.97

-24.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$0.68 ₾1.82

363.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 971

$7.23 ₾19.20

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.14 ₾3.04

12.28%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$18.5K ₾49.1K

133.96%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$20.0K ₾53.1K

69.14%

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

$163 JMD 25.5K

$73.7 ₾196

120.98%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,523

$11.64 ₾30.92

93.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,942

$17.84 ₾47.41

184.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$60.1 ₾160

15.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

$16.80 ₾44.65

-7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,024

$6.60 ₾17.55

95.76%

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

$222 JMD 34.8K

$266 ₾708

-16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

-52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,032

$77.7 ₾206

-66.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,955

$44.75 ₾119

-43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

$117 ₾310

-38.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

$113 ₾300

-33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 137.9K

$693 ₾1,840

27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.7K

$462 ₾1,227

-2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

$1,320 ₾3,507

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

$774 ₾2,057

55.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

$2,430 ₾6,458

17.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

$1,446 ₾3,842

51.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 114.7K

$673 ₾1,788

8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.89

-23.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 9% 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: $62.0 in Kingston vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $203 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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

Kingston vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kingston pays 9% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Kingston versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,209 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kingston and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.