Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,400

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat 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 Ashgabat and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,400 in Ashgabat versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Ashgabat $3,400
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,109 in Ashgabat versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Ashgabat $5,109
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,818 in Ashgabat versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Ashgabat $6,818
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 168% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 150% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.91 TMT 104

$11.63 ₾30.07

165.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 TMT 292

$37.83 ₾97.8

130.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 TMT 42.92

$9.66 ₾24.98

32.61%

Cappuccino

$6.98 TMT 23.40

$3.57 ₾9.24

95.52%

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

$1.56 TMT 5.21

$1.08 ₾2.78

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$0.56 ₾1.45

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 TMT 18.76

$2.62 ₾6.78

113.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.68 TMT 45.84

$3.04 ₾7.85

350.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.49 TMT 15.03

$2.17 ₾5.60

106.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 TMT 6.72

$0.80 ₾2.06

151.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 TMT 19.34

$1.74 ₾4.51

231.61%

Eggs

$6.04 TMT 20.23

$2.83 ₾7.31

113.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.95 TMT 124

$9.31 ₾24.07

296.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.67 TMT 65.9

$6.52 ₾16.85

201.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.60 TMT 79.1

$12.95 ₾33.50

82.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 TMT 17.10

$1.68 ₾4.33

203.57%

Banana (1kg)

$8.63 TMT 28.91

$1.85 ₾4.79

366.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.53

$1.97 ₾5.10

271.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 TMT 12.30

$2.42 ₾6.25

51.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 TMT 7.75

$0.82 ₾2.11

181.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 TMT 4.65

$0.74 ₾1.91

87.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 TMT 8.81

$1.34 ₾3.47

96.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 TMT 3.62

$0.77 ₾2.00

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.92 TMT 86.8

$3.57 ₾9.24

626.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.19 TMT 138

$7.67 ₾19.83

437.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.08 TMT 17.01

$1.70 ₾4.39

198.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TMT 9.51

$2.40 ₾6.21

18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$0.40 ₾1.05

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 TMT 32.85

$15.23 ₾39.38

-35.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 TMT 9.39

$1.14 ₾2.95

145.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 TMT 2.92

$0.78 ₾2.02

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 TMT 29.33

$11.83 ₾30.58

-26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.37

$1.45 ₾3.75

-71.72%

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

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

81.38%

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

$57.0K TMT 190.8K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

155.00%

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

$576 TMT 1,930

$88.8 ₾230

548.94%

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

$58.3 TMT 195

$13.12 ₾33.93

344.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$19.67 ₾50.9

425.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 TMT 659

$64.1 ₾166

206.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.87 TMT 147

$19.04 ₾49.24

130.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 TMT 29.47

$7.12 ₾18.42

23.60%

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

$23.22 TMT 77.8

$375 ₾971

-93.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K TMT 84.5K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

140.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 TMT 190

$104 ₾268

-45.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$116 TMT 390

$39.26 ₾102

196.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$371 TMT 1,242

$117 ₾303

215.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 TMT 650

$122 ₾315

59.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 TMT 4,675

$695 ₾1,798

100.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,349

$451 ₾1,167

121.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 TMT 7,519

$1,355 ₾3,504

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 TMT 6,470

$906 ₾2,343

113.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,614 TMT 12.1K

$2,295 ₾5,934

57.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,901 TMT 9,717

$1,345 ₾3,478

115.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 TMT 2,507

$664 ₾1,718

12.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

12.62

-24.72%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$1,000 29.4%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 54.9% $548

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$738 21.7%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 83.5% $616

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$664 19.5%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 64.8% $430

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$434 12.8%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 56.1% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$332 9.8%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 48.3% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$214 6.3%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 63.4% $136

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 24.8% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,396 in Ashgabat and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87 in Ashgabat vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $664 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

1 h behind Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.74 TMT (1 TMT = 0.267 EUR).

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

USD to TMT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ashgabat Tbilisi 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
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

Ashgabat vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,400 in Ashgabat and $1,269 in Tbilisi, so Tbilisi is about 63% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Ashgabat, 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: $1,396 in Ashgabat versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23 in Ashgabat versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $3,400 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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, Ashgabat and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tbilisi wins on affordability, Ashgabat on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.