Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,314 in Cologne versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,568 in Cologne versus $2,011 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,822 in Cologne versus $2,743 in Tbilisi.

Living in Cologne is roughly 81% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cologne is 68% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.12

$11.43 ₾29.72

53.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €76.9

$38.16 ₾99.2

133.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 €10.49

$9.40 ₾24.45

29.36%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.71

$3.38 ₾8.78

27.51%

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

$3.86 €3.33

$1.04 ₾2.70

271.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$0.60 ₾1.56

461.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.11

$2.71 ₾7.05

118.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.39

$3.04 ₾7.90

67.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.27 ₾5.90

-41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.96

$0.79 ₾2.04

187.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.16

$1.62 ₾4.21

126.54%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.38

$2.74 ₾7.13

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 €12.29

$9.30 ₾24.19

53.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 €10.43

$6.79 ₾17.65

78.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.11 €25.09

$13.01 ₾33.84

123.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.64 ₾4.27

83.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.83 ₾4.77

10.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.90 ₾4.94

32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.59

$2.57 ₾6.68

61.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.84 ₾2.19

60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.65 ₾1.70

83.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.36 ₾3.54

21.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.80 ₾2.07

33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 €8.66

$3.40 ₾8.85

195.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$7.67 ₾19.94

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.68 ₾4.36

-19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.38 ₾6.18

-24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 €3.50

$0.39 ₾1.02

941.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 €62.9

$15.55 ₾40.44

369.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.80

$1.14 ₾2.96

388.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.35

$0.74 ₾1.93

267.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.45 €30.56

$11.32 ₾29.42

213.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.38 ₾3.60

58.70%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$24.6K ₾63.9K

39.31%

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

$39.6K €34.2K

$22.0K ₾57.2K

80.13%

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

$380 €328

$88.7 ₾231

328.39%

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

$13.72 €11.83

$13.18 ₾34.26

4.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.03 €32.78

$19.68 ₾51.2

93.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.41 €40.87

$68.3 ₾177

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.90 €30.95

$17.94 ₾46.65

100.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 €13.76

$6.42 ₾16.70

148.60%

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

$1,074 €926

$372 ₾967

188.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K €19.5K

$10.8K ₾28.1K

109.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €79.3

$105 ₾272

-11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.15 €36.33

$38.83 ₾101

8.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.6

$115 ₾299

-8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €120

$122 ₾318

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,036

$681 ₾1,770

76.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 €759

$456 ₾1,185

93.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 €2,092

$1,312 ₾3,410

85.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 €1,457

$892 ₾2,321

89.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,814 €6,736

$2,391 ₾6,216

226.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,229 €4,507

$1,425 ₾3,704

267.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,629 €3,128

$640 ₾1,663

467.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.62

-69.97%

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

Last update for Cologne: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,202 in Cologne and $681 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 467% 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: $89.0 in Cologne vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $236 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

Cologne vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cologne and Tbilisi differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,314 vs $1,279 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 467% higher in Cologne, 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: $1,202 in Cologne versus $681 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 370% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,074 in Cologne versus $372 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $2,314 in Cologne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Cologne. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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, Cologne 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 81% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.