Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Bamako

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.

57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Montego Bay $1,169
Bamako $892

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

Montego Bay $2,141
Bamako $1,459

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

Montego Bay $3,113
Bamako $2,025

Living in Montego Bay is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bamako, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$8.68 F CFA 5,060

28.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

$35.91 F CFA 20.9K

106.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 JMD 1,319

$8.26 F CFA 4,817

1.09%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 825

$1.62 F CFA 945

222.22%

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

$0.94 JMD 149

$0.89 F CFA 519

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$0.70 F CFA 408

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 343

$2.40 F CFA 1,399

-9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 484

$21.35 F CFA 12.4K

-85.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 JMD 522

$1.89 F CFA 1,105

74.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 JMD 413

$3.76 F CFA 2,193

-30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$5.97 F CFA 3,484

-41.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,775

$18.16 F CFA 10.6K

-38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 968

$15.85 F CFA 9,244

-61.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 JMD 1,430

$12.36 F CFA 7,206

-26.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 JMD 637

$3.92 F CFA 2,284

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

$1.03 F CFA 603

145.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 JMD 1,151

$2.77 F CFA 1,614

162.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$2.05 F CFA 1,193

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 386

$1.20 F CFA 697

103.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$1.12 F CFA 655

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 JMD 403

$0.10 F CFA 59.2

2450.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$2.78 F CFA 1,622

-72.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$1.49 F CFA 867

87.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 JMD 640

$1.64 F CFA 956

146.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$1.22 F CFA 712

159.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.10 F CFA 641

22.73%

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)

$170 JMD 26.8K

$148 F CFA 86.4K

14.35%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 JMD 7,477

$64.6 F CFA 37.6K

-26.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 JMD 7,038

$69.5 F CFA 40.5K

-35.94%

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)

$318 JMD 50.2K

$177 F CFA 103.3K

79.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 JMD 35.1K

$80.7 F CFA 47.0K

175.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$502 F CFA 292.9K

85.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$300 F CFA 174.6K

211.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 F CFA 714.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 JMD 94.0K

$263 F CFA 153.4K

125.99%

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 Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bamako: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$323 27.7%

Bamako

$349 * 39.1% 7.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$239 20.5%

Bamako

$213 * 23.8% 11.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$222 19%

Bamako

$81 9% 63.7% $142

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$200 17.1%

Bamako

$175 19.6% 12.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

Bamako

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$62 5.3%

Bamako

$70 * 7.8% 12.4% $7.7

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Bamako

$6.1 * 0.7% 70.4% $15

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 $318 in Montego Bay and $177 in Bamako. 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: $74.0 in Montego Bay vs $36.00 in Bamako. Groceries flip the comparison at $323 vs $349, with Montego Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇲🇱 Bamako

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

04:19 4:19 AM

5 h ahead of Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

1,809,106 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to JMD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Montego Bay
Bamako

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

Montego Bay vs Bamako: 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.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Montego Bay, 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: $318 in Montego Bay versus $177 in Bamako. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,169 per month in Montego Bay versus $892 in Bamako – 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.