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: $3,653 in Basel versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Basel is roughly 202% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basel is 173% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.24

$10.80 ₾28.69

184.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$43.18 ₾115

260.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.28

$8.29 ₾22.02

133.66%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.33

$3.00 ₾7.96

125.00%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$0.82 ₾2.17

591.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$0.46 ₾1.21

991.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.96

$2.23 ₾5.93

352.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$2.92 ₾7.74

155.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.93 ₾5.11

16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$0.68 ₾1.81

448.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$1.88 ₾4.99

165.43%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$2.54 ₾6.73

221.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.62

$7.42 ₾19.69

286.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.36

$6.19 ₾16.43

480.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.03

$9.36 ₾24.86

360.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$1.22 ₾3.25

226.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$1.66 ₾4.40

56.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$1.80 ₾4.78

135.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$2.24 ₾5.95

210.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$0.71 ₾1.89

354.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$0.67 ₾1.79

338.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$1.18 ₾3.13

112.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$0.66 ₾1.76

134.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.22

$2.98 ₾7.91

291.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.90

$7.61 ₾20.20

81.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.54 ₾4.08

55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.25 ₾5.98

40.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$0.36 ₾0.95

1172.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.5

$14.44 ₾38.35

624.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.31

$1.49 ₾3.96

436.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$0.68 ₾1.82

533.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$7.23 ₾19.19

1106.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$1.14 ₾3.04

95.61%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$18.5K ₾49.0K

118.90%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

$20.0K ₾53.0K

121.92%

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

$306 CHF 242

$73.7 ₾196

315.46%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.24

$11.64 ₾30.90

359.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.44

$17.84 ₾47.38

229.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$60.1 ₾160

50.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.54

$16.80 ₾44.62

152.98%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.93

$6.60 ₾17.54

244.24%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,031

$266 ₾707

866.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

554.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$77.7 ₾206

71.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.7

$44.75 ₾119

97.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$117 ₾310

55.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$113 ₾300

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,666

$693 ₾1,839

204.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,199

$462 ₾1,226

228.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,021

$1,320 ₾3,504

190.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,211

$774 ₾2,056

261.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

$2,430 ₾6,454

685.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$1,446 ₾3,839

885.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,544

$673 ₾1,786

1132.48%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1132% 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: $156 in Basel vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $203 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 202% 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.

Basel pays 1132% more on average, 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $266 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 $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $3,653 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 $1,209 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 202% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.