Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Montego Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Montego Bay
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,169
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,169 in Montego Bay, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Montego Bay $1,169

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,141 in Montego Bay, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Montego Bay $2,141

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,113 in Montego Bay, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Montego Bay $3,113

Tbilisi costs about 8% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Montego Bay are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Montego Bay 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$11.14 JMD 1,760
1.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$74.1 JMD 11.7K
-47.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.92
$8.35 JMD 1,319
15.33%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.95
$5.22 JMD 825
-33.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$0.94 JMD 149
15.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$0.70 JMD 110
-10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$2.17 JMD 343
27.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$3.06 JMD 484
1.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$3.30 JMD 522
-31.82%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.07
$2.61 JMD 413
-69.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$1.38 JMD 217
27.54%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$3.48 JMD 550
-20.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$11.24 JMD 1,775
-16.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$6.13 JMD 968
8.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.45
$9.05 JMD 1,430
42.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$4.03 JMD 637
-58.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$2.53 JMD 400
-28.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$7.28 JMD 1,151
-73.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$2.45 JMD 388
-1.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$2.44 JMD 386
-64.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$2.66 JMD 420
-74.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$2.55 JMD 403
-45.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$0.77 JMD 121
-7.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$9.16 JMD 1,447
-61.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$11.14 JMD 1,760
-31.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$2.80 JMD 442
-41.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$4.05 JMD 640
-42.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.96 JMD 152
-61.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.93 JMD 147
22.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$3.17 JMD 501
-75.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.70
$6.25 JMD 988
89.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.35 JMD 214
3.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$44.2K JMD 7.0M
-43.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$32.6K JMD 5.2M
-33.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$170 JMD 26.8K
-47.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$22.58 JMD 3,567
-41.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.1
$47.32 JMD 7,477
-58.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$44.55 JMD 7,038
45.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$8.65 JMD 1,367
-24.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$355 JMD 56.0K
6.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾27.9K
$8,218 JMD 1.3M
31.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$23.50 JMD 3,713
334.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$30.80 JMD 4,866
28.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$67.9 JMD 10.7K
73.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$102 JMD 16.1K
20.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$318 JMD 50.2K
109.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$222 JMD 35.1K
101.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,324
$934 JMD 147.6K
37.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$934 JMD 147.6K
-4.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,276
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,573
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Montego Bay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
$595 JMD 94.0K
14.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
9.45
33.54%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Montego Bay
$222 50.5% $227
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Montego Bay
$323 38.3% $90
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Montego Bay
$200 6.5% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Montego Bay
$101 41.5% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Montego Bay
$239 96.1% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Montego Bay
$62 20.8% $16
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Montego Bay
$21 * 7.3% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $318 in Montego Bay. 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 14% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $74.0 in Montego Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $323 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇯🇲 Montego Bay
🕒 Local time
11:39 11:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
9 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
110,115
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Montego Bay 11,110 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Montego Bay

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 Montego Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Montego Bay?
Tbilisi costs about 8% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Tbilisi and in Montego Bay?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,753 in Montego Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Tbilisi or Montego Bay?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Tbilisi and in Montego Bay?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $74.0 in Montego Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Tbilisi or in Montego Bay?
Interestingly, groceries are about 38% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tbilisi or in Montego Bay?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montego Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Montego Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tbilisi or Montego Bay?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montego Bay costs $1,169 versus $1,266 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Montego Bay?
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.
Should I move to Tbilisi or to Montego Bay?
If budget matters most, go with Montego Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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