Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Forbes versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,312 in Forbes versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in Forbes versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Forbes is roughly 90% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 68% above, Tbilisi is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.42

$11.15 ₾30.00

43.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$108

$43.13 ₾116

79.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 A$13.37

$8.22 ₾22.11

16.18%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.74

$3.13 ₾8.42

7.99%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$0.74 ₾2.00

252.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.04

$0.45 ₾1.22

382.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.13

$2.13 ₾5.74

206.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.70

$2.99 ₾8.06

131.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$1.98

$1.89 ₾5.09

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.40

$0.73 ₾1.97

232.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.77

$1.85 ₾4.98

7.03%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.10

$2.45 ₾6.58

77.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.10

$7.85 ₾21.12

10.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.06

$6.25 ₾16.82

37.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.24

$9.77 ₾26.28

40.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.53

$1.21 ₾3.26

167.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.93

$1.59 ₾4.28

76.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$1.79 ₾4.81

64.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.70

$2.32 ₾6.25

75.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$0.71 ₾1.91

236.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$0.67 ₾1.81

213.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.95

$1.18 ₾3.16

78.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.14

$0.71 ₾1.92

115.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.13 A$43.59

$2.92 ₾7.85

966.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 A$18.87

$7.25 ₾19.50

85.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.27

$1.55 ₾4.17

189.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.32

$2.31 ₾6.21

126.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.67

$0.38 ₾1.03

589.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.7

$14.81 ₾39.83

332.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.95

$1.48 ₾3.98

139.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.15

$0.69 ₾1.86

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 A$46.54

$7.45 ₾20.05

346.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.15 ₾3.10

-1.74%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$18.0K ₾48.4K

58.93%

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

$22.3K A$31.2K

$19.8K ₾53.4K

12.41%

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

$186 A$260

$73.4 ₾198

153.23%

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

$27.73 A$38.83

$11.64 ₾31.32

138.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.5

$17.77 ₾47.79

199.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$69.2

$60.6 ₾163

-18.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.68

$16.44 ₾44.21

-5.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.45

$6.51 ₾17.52

102.46%

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

$1,600 A$2,240

$263 ₾707

509.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.6K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

130.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$95.0

$77.7 ₾209

-12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.7

$44.39 ₾119

15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$137

$118 ₾317

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$114 ₾307

-5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,789

$693 ₾1,865

84.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,499

$462 ₾1,244

131.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,836

$1,337 ₾3,597

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,352

$779 ₾2,096

115.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,262 A$8,767

$2,530 ₾6,805

147.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,175

$1,430 ₾3,847

258.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.89

-46.68%

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

Last update for Forbes: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Forbes and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Forbes vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $206 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

Forbes vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Tbilisi differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,185 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,380 in Forbes and $1,777 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,278 in Forbes versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in Forbes versus $1,185 in Tbilisi – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 333% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $2,253 in Forbes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Forbes. 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, Forbes 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 90% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.