Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Bitola versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,346 in Bitola versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,800 in Bitola versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Bitola costs roughly 25% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bitola 33% lower, Tbilisi 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 MKD 288

$11.15 ₾30.00

-50.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.66 MKD 1,505

$43.13 ₾116

-33.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 MKD 270

$8.22 ₾22.11

-37.59%

Cappuccino

$1.96 MKD 103

$3.13 ₾8.42

-37.38%

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

$1.79 MKD 94.0

$0.74 ₾2.00

141.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 64.8

$0.45 ₾1.22

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MKD 120

$2.13 ₾5.74

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MKD 140

$2.99 ₾8.06

-10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 73.9

$1.89 ₾5.09

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 35.96

$0.73 ₾1.97

-6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MKD 89.9

$1.85 ₾4.98

-7.57%

Eggs

$2.05 MKD 108

$2.45 ₾6.58

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MKD 546

$7.85 ₾21.12

32.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 MKD 388

$6.25 ₾16.82

18.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 MKD 701

$9.77 ₾26.28

36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 MKD 53.7

$1.21 ₾3.26

-15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 72.3

$1.59 ₾4.28

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 MKD 66.7

$1.79 ₾4.81

-29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MKD 81.5

$2.32 ₾6.25

-33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.1

$0.71 ₾1.91

36.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 70.4

$0.67 ₾1.81

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 30.10

$1.18 ₾3.16

-51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MKD 28.11

$0.71 ₾1.92

-23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 MKD 160

$2.92 ₾7.85

4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 MKD 317

$7.25 ₾19.50

-16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MKD 48.58

$1.55 ₾4.17

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MKD 94.2

$2.31 ₾6.21

-22.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MKD 28.59

$0.38 ₾1.03

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.24 MKD 906

$14.81 ₾39.83

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 57.7

$1.48 ₾3.98

-25.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MKD 27.33

$0.69 ₾1.86

-24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 MKD 350

$7.45 ₾20.05

-10.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.2

$1.15 ₾3.10

27.83%

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

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

$18.0K ₾48.4K

76.49%

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

$33.2K MKD 1.7M

$19.8K ₾53.4K

67.40%

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

$148 MKD 7,751

$73.4 ₾198

100.97%

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

$17.55 MKD 922

$11.64 ₾31.32

50.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 MKD 805

$17.77 ₾47.79

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.06 MKD 1,264

$60.6 ₾163

-60.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 MKD 352

$16.44 ₾44.21

-59.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MKD 251

$6.51 ₾17.52

-26.73%

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

$216 MKD 11.3K

$263 ₾707

-17.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,195 MKD 62.8K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

-76.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 MKD 3,999

$77.7 ₾209

-1.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 MKD 2,542

$44.39 ₾119

9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 MKD 4,016

$118 ₾317

-35.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,880

$114 ₾307

-1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 MKD 14.9K

$693 ₾1,865

-59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 MKD 10.4K

$462 ₾1,244

-57.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 MKD 31.1K

$1,337 ₾3,597

-55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.4K

$779 ₾2,096

-59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,796 MKD 94.3K

$2,530 ₾6,805

-28.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,203 MKD 63.2K

$1,430 ₾3,847

-15.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$788 MKD 41.4K

$633 ₾1,702

24.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

11.89

-40.29%

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

Last update for Bitola: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Bitola and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Bitola vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $206 per month, with Bitola 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

Bitola vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bitola and Tbilisi differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($892 vs $1,185 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bitola pays 25% 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: $284 in Bitola versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Bitola versus $1,185 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola 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, Bitola 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.