Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,197 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Ar-rass versus $1,868 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,431 in Ar-rass versus $2,538 in Tbilisi.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 2% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 12% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.71

$10.82 ₾28.39

-39.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 SAR 165

$43.85 ₾115

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 SAR 29.79

$8.31 ₾21.80

-4.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.69 SAR 13.87

$2.97 ₾7.78

24.24%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$0.77 ₾2.01

2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.46 ₾1.20

-36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 SAR 8.77

$1.90 ₾4.99

22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$0.71 ₾1.86

49.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.69

$1.91 ₾5.00

-20.94%

Eggs

$3.62 SAR 13.58

$2.48 ₾6.52

45.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.62

$7.74 ₾20.29

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 SAR 27.79

$6.18 ₾16.21

19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 SAR 49.34

$9.57 ₾25.12

37.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.19

$1.17 ₾3.06

86.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.65 ₾4.34

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.85 ₾4.84

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.33 ₾6.11

-33.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$0.71 ₾1.85

73.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$0.67 ₾1.76

89.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$1.19 ₾3.12

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.66 ₾1.72

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 SAR 23.40

$2.92 ₾7.65

113.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$0.38 ₾1.01

178.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.89 SAR 150

$14.76 ₾38.72

170.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.94

$1.50 ₾3.92

76.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$0.68 ₾1.77

173.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$7.26 ₾19.04

81.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.09 ₾2.87

-46.79%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

$18.6K ₾48.8K

42.14%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$20.5K ₾53.7K

8.52%

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

$107 SAR 403

$73.0 ₾192

47.16%

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

$33.12 SAR 124

$11.97 ₾31.41

176.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$18.00 ₾47.22

304.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 SAR 169

$61.0 ₾160

-25.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.22 SAR 132

$16.52 ₾43.34

113.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 SAR 59.5

$6.70 ₾17.58

136.27%

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

$355 SAR 1,334

$269 ₾705

32.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

$5,152 ₾13.5K

32.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.29 SAR 79.9

$76.5 ₾201

-72.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 SAR 225

$43.41 ₾114

38.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 SAR 297

$120 ₾316

-34.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 SAR 312

$111 ₾290

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,641

$687 ₾1,803

-36.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,450

$470 ₾1,234

-17.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,442

$1,353 ₾3,550

-71.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,309

$789 ₾2,069

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,580

$2,468 ₾6,473

3.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,264 SAR 4,747

$1,456 ₾3,818

-13.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,700 SAR 6,383

$659 ₾1,729

157.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.89

-62.83%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Ar-rass and $687 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 158% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $44.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $205 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

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

Ar-rass vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Tbilisi differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,174 vs $1,197 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 158% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $437 in Ar-rass versus $687 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Ar-rass versus $269 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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.

Safety-wise, Ar-rass and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.