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: $2,397 in Cologne versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,512 in Cologne versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cologne versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Cologne is roughly 98% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cologne is 79% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 €13.90

$10.80 ₾28.71

49.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €70.9

$43.18 ₾115

90.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$8.29 ₾22.04

38.24%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$3.00 ₾7.97

44.00%

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

$3.19 €2.74

$0.82 ₾2.17

289.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$0.46 ₾1.21

563.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.61

$2.23 ₾5.93

139.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.03

$2.92 ₾7.75

60.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.93 ₾5.12

-32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$0.68 ₾1.81

235.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$1.88 ₾5.00

88.30%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$2.54 ₾6.74

61.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$7.42 ₾19.70

103.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.37 €14.08

$6.19 ₾16.44

164.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.37 €18.38

$9.36 ₾24.87

128.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$1.22 ₾3.25

154.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.66 ₾4.40

16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$1.80 ₾4.78

28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 €4.05

$2.24 ₾5.96

110.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.71 ₾1.89

116.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$0.67 ₾1.79

143.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.18 ₾3.13

62.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.66 ₾1.76

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.31

$2.98 ₾7.91

224.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$7.61 ₾20.22

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.54 ₾4.08

-30.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.25 ₾5.99

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 €3.33

$0.36 ₾0.95

975.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 €54.6

$14.44 ₾38.38

339.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.85

$1.49 ₾3.97

278.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.88

$0.68 ₾1.82

220.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.07

$7.23 ₾19.20

383.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.14 ₾3.04

75.44%

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

$31.2K €26.8K

$18.5K ₾49.1K

69.05%

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

$35.6K €30.7K

$20.0K ₾53.1K

78.47%

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

$391 €336

$73.7 ₾196

430.32%

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

$25.11 €21.60

$11.64 ₾30.92

115.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.86 €42.89

$17.84 ₾47.41

179.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 €35.78

$60.1 ₾160

-30.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 €28.36

$16.80 ₾44.65

96.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.90

$6.60 ₾17.55

109.70%

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

$936 €805

$266 ₾708

251.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €16.5K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

269.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$77.7 ₾206

29.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.24 €39.77

$44.75 ₾119

3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$117 ₾310

1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$113 ₾300

32.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,053

$693 ₾1,840

76.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$462 ₾1,227

98.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 €1,808

$1,320 ₾3,507

59.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,280

$774 ₾2,057

92.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,985 €6,868

$2,430 ₾6,458

228.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 €4,629

$1,446 ₾3,842

272.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,642 €3,133

$673 ₾1,788

441.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

11.89

-66.95%

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

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Cologne and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 441% 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: $82.0 in Cologne vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $203 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 98% in total monthly costs ($2,397 vs $1,209 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cologne pays 441% 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: $1,224 in Cologne 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 339% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $936 in Cologne 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 $2,397 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 98% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.