Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in May Pen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $722 in May Pen.

Tbilisi $1,269
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $818 in May Pen.

Tbilisi $2,016
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $914 in May Pen.

Tbilisi $2,763
May Pen $914

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 76% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, May Pen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$2.23 JMD 352

-2.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.69 JMD 584

-78.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$3.12 JMD 493

-44.23%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.37 JMD 532

-16.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$7.67 JMD 1,212

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$5.10 JMD 805

153.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.60 JMD 253

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$4.93 JMD 778

-62.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$6.33 JMD 1,000

-68.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.85 JMD 292

30.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.93 JMD 304

-57.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.93 JMD 305

-61.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$3.08 JMD 486

-56.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$2.90 JMD 458

-73.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.26 JMD 358

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.41 JMD 223

2.84%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$42.49 JMD 6,714

-69.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$53.7 JMD 8,479

-63.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$15.88 JMD 2,508

552.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$21.63 JMD 3,418

81.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$41.60 JMD 6,572

182.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$52.7 JMD 8,326

131.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$288 JMD 45.5K

56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

44,755

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi May Pen 11,110 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
May Pen

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

Tbilisi vs May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $1,083 in May Pen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen 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.