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: $1,523 in Busan versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in Busan versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,228 in Busan versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Busan is roughly 26% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 14% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.07 ₩10.7K

$10.80 ₾28.71

-34.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.26 ₩56.5K

$43.18 ₾115

-13.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ₩9,288

$8.29 ₾22.04

-26.06%

Cappuccino

$4.15 ₩6,295

$3.00 ₾7.97

38.33%

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

$1.86 ₩2,816

$0.82 ₾2.17

126.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ₩2,094

$0.46 ₾1.21

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩5,624

$2.23 ₾5.93

66.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 ₩8,726

$2.92 ₾7.75

97.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₩3,538

$1.93 ₾5.12

20.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 ₩5,372

$0.68 ₾1.81

422.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 ₩4,590

$1.88 ₾5.00

61.17%

Eggs

$2.96 ₩4,491

$2.54 ₾6.74

16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 ₩15.7K

$7.42 ₾19.70

39.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 ₩12.8K

$6.19 ₾16.44

36.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.30 ₩41.4K

$9.36 ₾24.87

191.67%

Apples (1kg)

$8.50 ₩12.9K

$1.22 ₾3.25

596.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,924

$1.66 ₾4.40

95.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 ₩11.4K

$1.80 ₾4.78

318.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 ₩8,062

$2.24 ₾5.96

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 ₩7,838

$0.71 ₾1.89

628.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 ₩4,461

$0.67 ₾1.79

338.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩3,030

$1.18 ₾3.13

69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,812

$0.66 ₾1.76

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,969

$2.98 ₾7.91

10.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 ₩25.4K

$7.61 ₾20.22

119.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₩2,633

$1.54 ₾4.08

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₩5,249

$2.25 ₾5.99

53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,683

$0.36 ₾0.95

208.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 ₩67.9K

$14.44 ₾38.38

210.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,301

$1.49 ₾3.97

134.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,194

$0.68 ₾1.82

16.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩25.5K

$7.23 ₾19.20

132.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,856

$1.14 ₾3.04

7.89%

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

$27.4K ₩41.6M

$18.5K ₾49.1K

48.64%

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

$25.0K ₩37.8M

$20.0K ₾53.1K

25.07%

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

$190 ₩288.4K

$73.7 ₾196

158.33%

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

$49.90 ₩75.6K

$11.64 ₾30.92

328.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩41.2K

$17.84 ₾47.41

52.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩78.8K

$60.1 ₾160

-13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 ₩20.1K

$16.80 ₾44.65

-21.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩17.1K

$6.60 ₾17.55

71.36%

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

$497 ₩753.7K

$266 ₾708

86.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ₩21.5M

$5,191 ₾13.8K

172.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩158.4K

$77.7 ₾206

34.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩98.3K

$44.75 ₾119

45.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ₩133.7K

$117 ₾310

-24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩178.6K

$113 ₾300

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₩756.9K

$693 ₾1,840

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₩485.1K

$462 ₾1,227

-30.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ₩1.5M

$1,320 ₾3,507

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 ₩989.5K

$774 ₾2,057

-15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,780 ₩14.8M

$2,430 ₾6,458

302.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,054 ₩10.7M

$1,446 ₾3,842

387.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,407 ₩3.6M

$673 ₾1,788

257.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

11.89

-64.51%

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

Last update for Busan: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Busan and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 258% 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: $37.00 in Busan vs $43.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $450 vs $203, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 26% 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.

Busan pays 258% 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: $500 in Busan versus $693 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 210% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $497 in Busan versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,523 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 $1,209 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 26% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.