Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East London and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in East London and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $992 per month in East London vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

East London $992
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $1,611 per month in East London vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

East London $1,611
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $2,230 per month in East London vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

East London $2,230
Tbilisi $2,763

East London is about 22% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both East London and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – East London 27% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 R 151

$11.63 ₾30.10

-21.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 R 635

$37.83 ₾97.9

1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 R 92.5

$9.66 ₾25.01

-42.34%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.01

$3.57 ₾9.25

-42.58%

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

$1.04 R 17.30

$1.08 ₾2.78

-3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.68

$0.56 ₾1.45

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.62

$2.62 ₾6.79

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 R 53.3

$3.04 ₾7.86

5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.67

$2.17 ₾5.61

-45.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.51

$0.80 ₾2.06

8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.94

$1.74 ₾4.52

-17.24%

Eggs

$2.27 R 37.75

$2.83 ₾7.32

-19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 139

$9.31 ₾24.10

-10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 91.2

$6.52 ₾16.87

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R 111

$12.95 ₾33.54

-48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.26

$1.68 ₾4.34

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.39

$1.85 ₾4.80

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.12

$1.97 ₾5.11

-17.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.81

$2.42 ₾6.26

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.84

$0.82 ₾2.12

104.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.69

$0.74 ₾1.91

93.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.45

$1.34 ₾3.47

-12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.79

$0.77 ₾2.01

23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 R 47.99

$3.57 ₾9.25

-19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R 78.0

$7.67 ₾19.86

-38.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.76

$1.70 ₾4.39

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.35

$2.40 ₾6.21

-59.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 R 24.48

$0.40 ₾1.05

267.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.85 R 778

$15.23 ₾39.43

207.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.27

$1.14 ₾2.95

7.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 R 7.58

$0.78 ₾2.02

-41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 R 139

$11.83 ₾30.62

-29.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.41

$1.45 ₾3.75

-6.90%

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

$34.7K R 575.7K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

41.06%

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

$29.3K R 486.3K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

31.10%

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

$122 R 2,030

$88.8 ₾230

37.70%

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

$32.64 R 542

$13.12 ₾33.98

148.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 R 736

$19.67 ₾50.9

125.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 R 656

$64.1 ₾166

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.30

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 R 75.4

$7.12 ₾18.44

-36.24%

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

$177 R 2,941

$375 ₾972

-52.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,438 R 90.3K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-48.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 944

$104 ₾268

-45.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 545

$39.26 ₾102

-16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 R 1,213

$117 ₾304

-37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 R 1,580

$122 ₾315

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,822

$695 ₾1,800

-58.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R 4,161

$451 ₾1,168

-44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 9,011

$1,355 ₾3,508

-59.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.5K

$906 ₾2,346

-30.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,942

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,482

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,664 R 27.6K

$664 ₾1,720

150.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-12.84%

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

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

East London

$251 25.3%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 80% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$199 20.1%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 39% $78

Groceries & Markets

East London

$180 18.1%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 30.2% $54

Eating Out

East London

$141 14.2%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 35% $49

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$116 11.7%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 48.1% $56

Getting Around

East London

$56 5.7%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 61.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 4.9%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 61.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in East London versus $695 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 in East London are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in East London versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $234 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

2 h ahead of East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East London Tbilisi 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

East London
Tbilisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

East London vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $992 in East London, $1,269 in Tbilisi – East London comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,487 per month in East London and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $992 in East London and $1,269 in Tbilisi. That makes East London about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in East London and $375 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.