Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Basel versus $1,197 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $1,868 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $2,538 in Tbilisi.

Living in Basel is roughly 201% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basel is 170% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$10.82 ₾28.38

187.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$43.85 ₾115

251.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$8.31 ₾21.79

133.57%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$2.97 ₾7.78

126.60%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$0.77 ₾2.01

609.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$0.46 ₾1.20

1032.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$2.14 ₾5.63

350.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$2.87 ₾7.52

154.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.90 ₾4.99

16.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$0.71 ₾1.86

445.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$1.91 ₾5.00

171.73%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$2.48 ₾6.52

215.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$7.74 ₾20.29

268.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$6.18 ₾16.20

494.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$9.57 ₾25.11

362.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$1.17 ₾3.06

234.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$1.65 ₾4.34

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$1.85 ₾4.84

125.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$2.33 ₾6.11

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$0.71 ₾1.85

359.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$0.67 ₾1.76

344.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$1.19 ₾3.12

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$0.66 ₾1.72

125.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$2.92 ₾7.65

305.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$7.69 ₾20.17

77.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$1.59 ₾4.18

52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.31 ₾6.06

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$0.38 ₾1.01

1152.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$14.76 ₾38.71

611.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$1.50 ₾3.92

428.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$0.68 ₾1.77

541.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$7.26 ₾19.03

1103.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.09 ₾2.87

101.83%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$18.6K ₾48.8K

119.23%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$20.5K ₾53.7K

120.49%

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

$302 CHF 245

$73.0 ₾191

313.89%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$11.97 ₾31.40

351.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$18.00 ₾47.21

227.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$61.0 ₾160

49.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$16.52 ₾43.33

150.48%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$6.70 ₾17.58

245.82%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$269 ₾705

842.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$5,152 ₾13.5K

556.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$76.5 ₾201

77.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$43.41 ₾114

101.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$120 ₾316

49.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$111 ₾290

107.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$687 ₾1,802

206.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$470 ₾1,234

221.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$1,353 ₾3,549

176.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$789 ₾2,069

258.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$2,468 ₾6,472

660.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$1,456 ₾3,817

901.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$659 ₾1,729

988.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

11.89

-78.55%

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

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $687 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 989% 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: $154 in Basel vs $44.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $205 per month, with Tbilisi 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

Basel vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 989% higher in Basel, 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $687 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel 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 237% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $3,606 in Basel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,197 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.