Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Tbilisi

For one person, living costs are similar in Addis Ababa and in Tbilisi: $1,300 and $1,269 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,300

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Addis Ababa and in Tbilisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,300 in Addis Ababa versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Addis Ababa $1,300
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,914 in Addis Ababa versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Addis Ababa $1,914
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,528 in Addis Ababa versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Addis Ababa $2,528
Tbilisi $2,763

Monthly costs are close between Addis Ababa and Tbilisi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Addis Ababa 4% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ETB 655

$11.63 ₾30.07

-65.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.77 ETB 6,885

$37.83 ₾97.8

13.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ETB 1,068

$9.66 ₾24.98

-31.37%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 141

$3.57 ₾9.24

-75.35%

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

$0.58 ETB 93.8

$1.08 ₾2.78

-46.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.56 ₾1.45

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ETB 124

$2.62 ₾6.78

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ETB 359

$3.04 ₾7.85

-26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ETB 172

$2.17 ₾5.60

-50.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ETB 187

$0.80 ₾2.06

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 349

$1.74 ₾4.51

24.71%

Eggs

$1.79 ETB 287

$2.83 ₾7.31

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ETB 1,210

$9.31 ₾24.07

-19.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ETB 1,655

$6.52 ₾16.85

57.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ETB 1,528

$12.95 ₾33.50

-26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ETB 845

$1.68 ₾4.34

212.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 102

$1.85 ₾4.79

-65.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ETB 341

$1.97 ₾5.10

7.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 105

$2.42 ₾6.25

-73.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 81.1

$0.82 ₾2.11

-39.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ETB 174

$0.74 ₾1.91

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 111

$1.34 ₾3.47

-48.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 92.8

$0.77 ₾2.00

-24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 ETB 1,290

$3.57 ₾9.24

124.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 ETB 915

$7.67 ₾19.83

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 108

$1.70 ₾4.39

-60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ETB 196

$2.40 ₾6.21

-49.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ETB 82.7

$0.40 ₾1.05

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.05 ETB 3,390

$15.23 ₾39.38

38.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ETB 208

$1.14 ₾2.95

13.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 47.31

$0.78 ₾2.02

-62.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 315

$11.83 ₾30.58

-83.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ETB 155

$1.45 ₾3.75

-33.79%

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

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

$24.6K ₾63.6K

126.49%

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

$56.1K ETB 9.0M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

151.24%

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

$202 ETB 32.5K

$88.8 ₾230

127.66%

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

$7.50 ETB 1,207

$13.12 ₾33.93

-42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.3K

$19.67 ₾50.9

984.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.97 ETB 7,240

$64.1 ₾166

-29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,936

$19.04 ₾49.24

93.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.77 ETB 607

$7.12 ₾18.42

-47.05%

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

$633 ETB 102.0K

$375 ₾971

68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

$10.5K ₾27.1K

191.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ETB 5,282

$104 ₾268

-68.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.5 ETB 11.2K

$39.26 ₾102

77.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ETB 12.5K

$117 ₾303

-34.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ETB 13.3K

$122 ₾315

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 ETB 113.9K

$695 ₾1,798

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ETB 63.1K

$451 ₾1,167

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 ETB 370.1K

$1,355 ₾3,504

69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ETB 124.6K

$906 ₾2,343

-14.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ETB 318.2K

$2,295 ₾5,934

-13.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,025 ETB 165.1K

$1,345 ₾3,478

-23.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 32.2K

$664 ₾1,718

-69.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

12.62

46.59%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$423 32.5%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 71.2% $301

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$392 30.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 15.2% $59

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$213 16.4%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 10% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$118 9.1%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 45.4% $54

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$76 5.9%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 150% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$53 4%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 49.1% $26

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 15.3% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Addis Ababa and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Addis Ababa vs $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $234, with Addis Ababa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

1 h ahead of Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Addis Ababa Tbilisi 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Addis Ababa
Tbilisi

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

Addis Ababa vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Addis Ababa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $707 in Addis Ababa versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 28% less than in Addis Ababa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Addis Ababa pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.