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: $1,706 in Kingston versus $1,247 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Kingston versus $2,025 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,988 in Kingston versus $2,803 in Tbilisi.

Living in Kingston is roughly 37% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 25% above, Tbilisi is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.99 JMD 2,509

$11.33 ₾29.45

41.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 JMD 11.8K

$38.71 ₾101

94.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 JMD 1,359

$9.52 ₾24.73

-9.03%

Cappuccino

$5.31 JMD 833

$3.41 ₾8.85

55.72%

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

$1.20 JMD 188

$1.04 ₾2.71

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 JMD 106

$0.64 ₾1.66

4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 344

$2.61 ₾6.79

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 503

$3.24 ₾8.43

-1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.10 JMD 643

$2.17 ₾5.65

88.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 JMD 610

$0.74 ₾1.92

425.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 249

$1.71 ₾4.45

-7.02%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 557

$2.83 ₾7.36

25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 JMD 1,832

$9.22 ₾23.95

26.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,011

$6.76 ₾17.55

-4.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 JMD 1,607

$12.77 ₾33.17

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 970

$1.64 ₾4.26

276.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 608

$1.77 ₾4.60

118.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.50 JMD 1,176

$1.87 ₾4.85

301.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 482

$2.44 ₾6.34

25.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 JMD 528

$0.87 ₾2.25

287.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 JMD 427

$0.65 ₾1.70

318.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 490

$1.40 ₾3.64

122.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 JMD 239

$0.74 ₾1.93

105.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 JMD 1,497

$3.41 ₾8.86

179.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 JMD 1,793

$7.60 ₾19.75

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 440

$1.70 ₾4.41

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 JMD 641

$2.38 ₾6.20

71.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 JMD 119

$0.36 ₾0.94

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.96 JMD 5,955

$15.24 ₾39.60

149.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 JMD 183

$1.18 ₾3.07

-0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 504

$0.76 ₾1.97

322.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 981

$11.34 ₾29.47

-44.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 223

$1.33 ₾3.46

6.77%

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

$44.6K JMD 7.0M

$24.7K ₾64.2K

80.40%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$22.0K ₾57.2K

49.88%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$88.9 ₾231

94.05%

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

$29.30 JMD 4,596

$13.33 ₾34.63

119.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 JMD 8,176

$20.12 ₾52.3

159.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 JMD 9,668

$68.7 ₾178

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 JMD 2,844

$18.09 ₾47.01

0.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 JMD 2,070

$6.72 ₾17.46

96.28%

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

$362 JMD 56.7K

$374 ₾971

-3.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,377 JMD 1.3M

$10.7K ₾27.8K

-21.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 JMD 3,685

$101 ₾263

-76.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.14 JMD 5,042

$39.33 ₾102

-18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 JMD 12.5K

$118 ₾305

-32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$122 ₾318

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 JMD 153.9K

$682 ₾1,773

43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 JMD 88.8K

$456 ₾1,186

24.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 JMD 334.2K

$1,303 ₾3,385

63.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 JMD 217.1K

$899 ₾2,337

53.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,880 JMD 451.8K

$2,449 ₾6,365

17.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,071 JMD 324.9K

$1,452 ₾3,774

42.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$739 JMD 116.0K

$652 ₾1,695

13.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

12.62

-25.12%

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

Last update for Kingston: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Kingston and $682 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 13% 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: $75.0 in Kingston vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $232 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 37% 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.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Kingston, 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: $981 in Kingston versus $682 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Kingston versus $374 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Tbilisi versus $1,706 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 $1,247 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 37% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.