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: $3,544 in Basel versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $2,011 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $2,743 in Tbilisi.

Living in Basel is roughly 177% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basel is 157% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$11.43 ₾29.72

161.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$38.16 ₾99.2

228.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$9.40 ₾24.45

98.83%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$3.38 ₾8.78

99.11%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$1.04 ₾2.70

508.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$0.60 ₾1.56

876.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$2.71 ₾7.05

244.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$3.04 ₾7.90

231.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.27 ₾5.90

2.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$0.79 ₾2.04

286.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$1.62 ₾4.21

104.94%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$2.74 ₾7.13

204.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$9.30 ₾24.19

181.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$6.79 ₾17.65

310.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$13.01 ₾33.84

227.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$1.64 ₾4.27

123.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$1.83 ₾4.77

31.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$1.90 ₾4.94

57.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$2.57 ₾6.68

87.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$0.84 ₾2.19

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$0.65 ₾1.70

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$1.36 ₾3.54

71.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$0.80 ₾2.07

107.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$3.40 ₾8.85

242.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$7.67 ₾19.94

59.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$1.68 ₾4.36

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$2.38 ₾6.18

33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$0.39 ₾1.02

1038.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$15.55 ₾40.44

595.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$1.14 ₾2.96

600.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$0.74 ₾1.93

520.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$11.32 ₾29.42

677.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$1.38 ₾3.60

65.94%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$24.6K ₾63.9K

79.99%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$22.0K ₾57.2K

80.20%

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

$299 CHF 244

$88.7 ₾231

236.45%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$13.18 ₾34.26

304.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$19.68 ₾51.2

235.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$68.3 ₾177

25.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$17.94 ₾46.65

229.04%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$6.42 ₾16.70

270.87%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$372 ₾967

713.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$10.8K ₾28.1K

207.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$105 ₾272

40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$38.83 ₾101

110.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$115 ₾299

42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$122 ₾318

62.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$681 ₾1,770

214.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$456 ₾1,185

235.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$1,312 ₾3,410

175.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$892 ₾2,321

223.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$2,391 ₾6,216

670.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$1,425 ₾3,704

918.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$640 ₾1,663

1046.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

12.62

-80.74%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $681 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1047% 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: $125 in Basel vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $236 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 177% 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 1047% 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $681 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $372 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $3,544 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 $1,279 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 177% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.