Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Montego Bay despite lower rent and utilities.

57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,169
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $2,141 per month in Montego Bay vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,141
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Montego Bay vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,113
Bansko $1,979

Montego Bay costs about 22% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montego Bay and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Montego Bay 13% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$8.66 BGN 15.06

28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

$44.94 BGN 78.2

64.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 JMD 1,319

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-4.90%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 825

$2.33 BGN 4.05

124.03%

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

$0.94 JMD 149

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-40.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 343

$1.68 BGN 2.92

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 484

$1.98 BGN 3.45

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 JMD 522

$1.73 BGN 3.00

90.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 JMD 413

$0.80 BGN 1.40

226.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-4.17%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$2.36 BGN 4.10

47.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,775

$9.39 BGN 16.34

19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 968

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 JMD 1,430

$8.48 BGN 14.76

6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 JMD 637

$1.31 BGN 2.28

207.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

$1.62 BGN 2.82

56.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 JMD 1,151

$1.73 BGN 3.01

320.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$1.94 BGN 3.38

26.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 386

$0.94 BGN 1.63

159.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$0.76 BGN 1.32

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 JMD 403

$0.55 BGN 0.95

363.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$0.59 BGN 1.02

30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

$3.25 BGN 5.66

181.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$5.20 BGN 9.05

114.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$1.09 BGN 1.89

156.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 JMD 640

$1.68 BGN 2.92

141.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

$0.84 BGN 1.45

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-30.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$0.65 BGN 1.14

387.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-37.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-8.78%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

51.55%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

56.01%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$92.4 BGN 161

83.38%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

$14.52 BGN 25.26

55.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 JMD 7,477

$12.32 BGN 21.43

284.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 JMD 7,038

$31.70 BGN 55.2

40.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 JMD 1,367

$5.62 BGN 9.78

53.91%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$230 BGN 401

53.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

$2,268 BGN 3,947

262.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 JMD 3,713

$30.10 BGN 52.4

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 JMD 4,866

$19.62 BGN 34.13

56.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

48.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

113.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 JMD 50.2K

$518 BGN 902

-38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 JMD 35.1K

$357 BGN 621

-37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$614 BGN 1,069

52.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$569 BGN 990

64.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 JMD 94.0K

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-65.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

2.99

216.05%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$323 27.7%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 40.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$239 20.5%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 50.2% $120

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$222 19%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 60.5% $135

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$200 17.1%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 27.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 36.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$62 5.3%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 30.6% $19

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 69.8% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Montego Bay versus $518 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 187% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

8 h ahead of Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

8,000

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montego Bay Bansko 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,169 in Montego Bay, $956 in Bansko – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,169 in Montego Bay and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $355 per month in Montego Bay and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Montego Bay at $1,169. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montego Bay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montego Bay has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $1,169 in Montego Bay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montego Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.