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: $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,286 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Ar-rass versus $2,044 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $2,802 in Tbilisi.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 15% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 20% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$11.72 ₾30.64

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 SAR 140

$37.88 ₾99.0

-1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 SAR 30.39

$9.74 ₾25.48

-16.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.31 SAR 12.43

$3.41 ₾8.93

-2.93%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$1.06 ₾2.77

-21.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.65 ₾1.69

-63.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ₾7.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$2.20 ₾5.75

-14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$0.81 ₾2.11

-51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$1.64 ₾4.28

14.63%

Eggs

$3.54 SAR 13.30

$2.75 ₾7.20

28.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.40

$9.01 ₾23.56

-18.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$6.55 ₾17.13

23.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 SAR 48.76

$12.62 ₾33.00

2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

$1.67 ₾4.37

25.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.81 ₾4.74

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.93 ₾5.04

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.59 ₾6.77

-37.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$0.87 ₾2.26

26.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$0.65 ₾1.69

93.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.52

$1.39 ₾3.64

-13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.05

$0.80 ₾2.08

-32.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$3.36 ₾8.80

134.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₾19.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₾4.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.15

$0.37 ₾0.96

197.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 SAR 146

$15.11 ₾39.52

156.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$1.17 ₾3.06

148.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$0.80 ₾2.09

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 SAR 52.4

$11.33 ₾29.63

23.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.33 ₾3.48

-55.64%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$25.0K ₾65.3K

68.63%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$22.4K ₾58.5K

-5.68%

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

$99.9 SAR 375

$89.1 ₾233

12.07%

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

$23.70 SAR 89.0

$13.25 ₾34.64

78.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$19.46 ₾50.9

209.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 SAR 165

$68.4 ₾179

-35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SAR 145

$18.68 ₾48.86

106.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$6.63 ₾17.35

103.32%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$363 ₾951

-4.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

$10.7K ₾27.9K

-41.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SAR 189

$104 ₾271

-51.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$38.84 ₾102

56.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$117 ₾305

-18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 379

$123 ₾321

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 SAR 2,196

$682 ₾1,785

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$447 ₾1,168

-20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$1,284 ₾3,358

-70.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,133

$920 ₾2,406

-38.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 SAR 9,909

$2,487 ₾6,504

6.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 SAR 4,779

$1,423 ₾3,721

-10.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 SAR 6,536

$646 ₾1,689

169.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

12.73

-57.03%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Ar-rass and $682 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 170% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $232 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $1,286 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 170% 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: $585 in Ar-rass versus $682 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Ar-rass versus $363 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,286 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 17% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.