Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Busan versus $1,268 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,485 in Busan versus $2,003 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,402 in Busan versus $2,739 in Tbilisi.

Living in Busan is roughly 24% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 16% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩10.1K

$11.21 ₾29.29

-33.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.61 ₩64.6K

$37.78 ₾98.7

26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 ₩8,710

$9.90 ₾25.87

-35.15%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₩4,826

$3.48 ₾9.09

2.30%

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

$1.82 ₩2,473

$1.03 ₾2.69

76.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₩1,911

$0.65 ₾1.68

116.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,972

$2.66 ₾6.95

37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 ₩5,521

$3.22 ₾8.40

26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,143

$2.27 ₾5.93

2.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₩4,170

$0.79 ₾2.07

288.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 ₩4,053

$1.65 ₾4.31

81.21%

Eggs

$2.53 ₩3,427

$2.72 ₾7.09

-6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₩14.4K

$9.03 ₾23.59

17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 ₩13.7K

$6.87 ₾17.94

47.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.30 ₩33.0K

$13.08 ₾34.16

85.78%

Apples (1kg)

$10.75 ₩14.6K

$1.63 ₾4.26

559.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 ₩4,715

$1.82 ₾4.75

91.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.7K

$1.97 ₾5.13

301.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 ₩7,868

$2.41 ₾6.30

140.66%

Potato (1kg)

$5.94 ₩8,058

$0.86 ₾2.24

590.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,448

$0.70 ₾1.83

368.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 ₩3,741

$1.35 ₾3.53

104.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,738

$0.74 ₾1.94

72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,468

$3.37 ₾8.81

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.51 ₩25.1K

$7.83 ₾20.44

136.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,094

$1.68 ₾4.38

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₩4,508

$2.28 ₾5.97

45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,496

$0.38 ₾0.99

189.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₩78.3K

$15.49 ₾40.46

272.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩4,826

$1.19 ₾3.12

199.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,026

$0.75 ₾1.96

1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 ₩21.8K

$11.54 ₾30.13

39.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,825

$1.36 ₾3.54

-0.74%

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

$28.2K ₩38.3M

$24.9K ₾65.1K

13.22%

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

$32.1K ₩43.6M

$22.1K ₾57.8K

45.35%

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

$198 ₩269.1K

$87.8 ₾229

126.09%

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

$35.44 ₩48.1K

$13.12 ₾34.26

170.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.96 ₩35.2K

$19.49 ₾50.9

33.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ₩83.4K

$65.2 ₾170

-5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 ₩12.8K

$18.43 ₾48.15

-48.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 ₩15.6K

$6.59 ₾17.21

74.36%

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

$622 ₩843.9K

$372 ₾970

67.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K ₩28.7M

$10.6K ₾27.6K

99.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 ₩136.1K

$105 ₾273

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩87.8K

$39.17 ₾102

65.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩125.4K

$117 ₾304

-20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₩165.3K

$124 ₾323

-1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ₩942.0K

$669 ₾1,748

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₩474.8K

$452 ₾1,181

-22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 ₩1.8M

$1,302 ₾3,401

-0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 ₩935.1K

$922 ₾2,409

-25.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₩13.6M

$2,386 ₾6,231

320.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.6M

$1,399 ₾3,655

353.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,708 ₩3.7M

$672 ₾1,756

302.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

12.69

-66.75%

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

Last update for Busan: September 20, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Busan and $669 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 303% 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: $48.00 in Busan vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $235 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

Busan vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Busan. 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 303% higher in Busan, 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: $694 in Busan versus $669 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 272% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $622 in Busan versus $372 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,268 in Tbilisi versus $1,568 in Busan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Busan. 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 $1,268 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan 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 24% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.