Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Tbilisi $2,763

Budapest costs about 29% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$11.63 ₾30.07

18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$37.83 ₾97.8

62.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$9.66 ₾24.98

5.18%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$3.57 ₾9.24

-9.80%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$1.08 ₾2.78

90.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$0.56 ₾1.45

226.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$2.62 ₾6.78

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$3.04 ₾7.85

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$2.17 ₾5.60

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$0.80 ₾2.06

133.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$1.74 ₾4.51

36.21%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$2.83 ₾7.31

39.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$9.31 ₾24.07

19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$6.52 ₾16.85

3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$12.95 ₾33.50

10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

$1.68 ₾4.34

7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$1.85 ₾4.79

14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$1.97 ₾5.10

18.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$2.42 ₾6.25

57.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.82 ₾2.11

20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$0.74 ₾1.91

32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$1.34 ₾3.47

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.77 ₾2.00

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$3.57 ₾9.24

118.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$7.67 ₾19.83

-21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.70 ₾4.39

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$2.40 ₾6.21

-15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$0.40 ₾1.05

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

$15.23 ₾39.38

79.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$1.14 ₾2.95

189.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$0.78 ₾2.02

67.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$11.83 ₾30.58

71.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

$1.45 ₾3.75

25.52%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$24.6K ₾63.6K

16.86%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

48.10%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$88.8 ₾230

93.90%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$13.12 ₾33.93

82.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$19.67 ₾50.9

18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$64.1 ₾166

7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

$19.04 ₾49.24

-0.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$7.12 ₾18.42

42.98%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$375 ₾971

59.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$10.5K ₾27.1K

60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$104 ₾268

-4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$39.26 ₾102

10.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$117 ₾303

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$122 ₾315

-3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

$695 ₾1,798

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

$451 ₾1,167

41.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

$1,355 ₾3,504

17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

$906 ₾2,343

32.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$2,295 ₾5,934

145.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$1,345 ₾3,478

182.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

$664 ₾1,718

151.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

12.62

-48.89%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 29.5% $189

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 9.4% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 13.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 44.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 2.6% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 12% $11

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 49.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $695 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Tbilisi 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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

Budapest vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $375 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Budapest and $1,269 in Tbilisi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.