Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,174 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,174

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki 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 Helsinki and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,174 in Helsinki versus $1,242 in Tbilisi.

Helsinki $2,174
Tbilisi $1,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,524 in Helsinki versus $1,962 in Tbilisi.

Helsinki $3,524
Tbilisi $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,874 in Helsinki versus $2,682 in Tbilisi.

Helsinki $4,874
Tbilisi $2,682

Living in Helsinki is roughly 75% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helsinki is 62% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.74

$10.98 ₾28.46

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €102

$38.21 ₾99.0

198.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.57 €12.11

$9.58 ₾24.84

41.65%

Cappuccino

$5.32 €4.75

$3.59 ₾9.31

48.19%

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

$3.45 €3.08

$1.03 ₾2.66

234.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.49

$0.63 ₾1.64

342.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.93 €8.86

$2.74 ₾7.10

262.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.02 €8.05

$3.17 ₾8.22

184.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.13 ₾5.53

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.44

$0.74 ₾1.91

268.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$1.72 ₾4.46

50.00%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.50

$2.78 ₾7.21

41.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 €8.89

$9.48 ₾24.56

5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 €12.01

$6.45 ₾16.71

108.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.05 €23.24

$13.02 ₾33.76

100.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$1.69 ₾4.37

59.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.84 ₾4.76

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.89 ₾4.90

29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 €3.57

$2.40 ₾6.22

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.07

$0.84 ₾2.17

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$0.68 ₾1.75

145.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.42 ₾3.68

57.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.77 ₾2.01

115.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 €12.40

$3.56 ₾9.22

290.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 €13.83

$7.48 ₾19.39

107.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 €3.51

$1.71 ₾4.43

130.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.61

$2.29 ₾5.94

76.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 €3.33

$0.40 ₾1.04

832.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 €74.0

$15.15 ₾39.27

446.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 €14.38

$1.19 ₾3.08

1253.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.78 ₾2.03

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.1 €68.8

$11.77 ₾30.50

555.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.41 ₾3.65

65.25%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$24.3K ₾62.9K

54.04%

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$21.7K ₾56.3K

72.11%

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

$135 €121

$87.6 ₾227

54.39%

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

$26.63 €23.76

$13.33 ₾34.55

99.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.92 €22.24

$19.51 ₾50.6

27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 €41.45

$64.7 ₾168

-28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 €33.99

$18.85 ₾48.86

102.07%

Cinema Ticket

$18.23 €16.27

$6.55 ₾16.97

178.32%

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

$473 €422

$377 ₾978

25.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.5K

$10.6K ₾27.5K

21.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.3

$102 ₾265

-9.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 €38.66

$40.36 ₾105

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.6

$117 ₾302

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €136

$121 ₾314

25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,097

$675 ₾1,749

82.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €815

$451 ₾1,170

102.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 €2,046

$1,275 ₾3,305

79.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 €1,556

$883 ₾2,288

97.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,746 €8,697

$2,415 ₾6,259

303.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,336 €3,870

$1,404 ₾3,640

208.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,188 €2,845

$706 ₾1,830

351.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

12.62

-71.39%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 3, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$913 41.3%

Tbilisi

$451 35.8% 50.5% $461

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$393 17.8%

Tbilisi

$232 18.4% 40.8% $160

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.3%

Tbilisi

$186 14.8% 44.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$187 8.5%

Tbilisi

$120 9.6% 35.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$178 8%

Tbilisi

$171 13.6% 3.8% $6.7

Getting Around

Helsinki

$120 5.4%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 81.8% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 6.2% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Helsinki and $675 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 352% 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: $114 in Helsinki vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $232 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

1 h ahead of Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Helsinki Tbilisi 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Helsinki vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 352% higher in Helsinki, 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: $1,229 in Helsinki versus $675 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $114 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,174 per month in Helsinki versus $1,242 in Tbilisi – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,174 in Helsinki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Helsinki, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsinki 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 75% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.