Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,280 per month in Cape Town vs $1,218 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Cape Town vs $1,854 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Cape Town vs $2,491 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 5% more than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Cape Town and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 R 181

$10.78 ₾29.00

2.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.39 R 743

$43.10 ₾116

5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 R 83.2

$8.27 ₾22.24

-38.45%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R 34.00

$2.95 ₾7.94

-29.49%

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

$1.16 R 19.04

$0.76 ₾2.05

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.60

$0.42 ₾1.13

111.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 46.44

$2.24 ₾6.03

26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.05

$2.87 ₾7.71

-14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 17.94

$1.93 ₾5.19

-43.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 17.92

$0.68 ₾1.84

61.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.96

$1.85 ₾4.97

-1.08%

Eggs

$2.50 R 40.92

$2.49 ₾6.69

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 141

$7.54 ₾20.27

14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 R 82.8

$6.35 ₾17.09

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R 124

$9.43 ₾25.38

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.70

$1.18 ₾3.16

33.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.13

$1.58 ₾4.26

-10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.60

$1.86 ₾5.00

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.04

$2.24 ₾6.03

-31.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.75

$0.66 ₾1.79

65.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.34

$0.68 ₾1.83

73.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.34

$1.18 ₾3.17

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.15

$0.66 ₾1.77

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 R 50.8

$3.07 ₾8.25

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 R 104

$7.56 ₾20.34

-15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.39

$1.52 ₾4.08

-9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 28.70

$2.29 ₾6.15

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R 14.99

$0.35 ₾0.95

162.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.28 R 790

$14.79 ₾39.78

226.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.53

$1.45 ₾3.90

-4.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.22

$0.73 ₾1.97

27.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 R 71.4

$7.35 ₾19.78

-40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.64

$1.09 ₾2.93

10.09%

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

$21.6K R 353.2K

$18.4K ₾49.5K

17.28%

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

$24.0K R 392.7K

$20.3K ₾54.5K

18.41%

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

$101 R 1,660

$73.3 ₾197

38.40%

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

$32.97 R 539

$11.72 ₾31.53

181.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.85 R 668

$17.87 ₾48.08

128.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 R 697

$61.2 ₾165

-30.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 R 129

$16.34 ₾43.94

-51.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 R 108

$6.59 ₾17.73

0.46%

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

$213 R 3,482

$261 ₾702

-18.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,331 R 87.2K

$5,156 ₾13.9K

3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R 894

$76.1 ₾205

-28.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.27 R 544

$43.83 ₾118

-24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,873

$121 ₾325

-5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R 1,374

$113 ₾304

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 R 12.5K

$696 ₾1,873

10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 R 8,583

$456 ₾1,226

15.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 R 23.6K

$1,301 ₾3,500

10.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 R 16.5K

$768 ₾2,067

31.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,240 R 36.7K

$2,500 ₾6,725

-10.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 R 23.7K

$1,432 ₾3,853

1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 R 27.9K

$653 ₾1,756

161.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.89

-1.01%

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

Last update for Cape Town: April 14, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $767 in Cape Town versus $696 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 run about 161% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Cape Town versus $43 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Cape Town vs $203 in Tbilisi – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cape Town vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 5% more than Tbilisi, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,919 per month in Cape Town and $1,827 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,280 in Cape Town and $1,218 in Tbilisi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 226% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Cape Town at $1,280. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,218 versus $1,280 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.