Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Howick: $1,081 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Howick
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Howick Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Howick

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,081

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Howick versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Howick $1,081
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,676 in Howick versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Howick $1,676
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Howick versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Howick $2,271
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Howick costs roughly 15% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Howick 21% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 R 133

$11.63 ₾30.07

-30.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R 645

$37.83 ₾97.8

2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 R 91.3

$9.66 ₾24.98

-43.06%

Cappuccino

$2.66 R 44.23

$3.57 ₾9.24

-25.49%

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

$1.09 R 18.19

$1.08 ₾2.78

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.32

$0.56 ₾1.45

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 R 39.69

$2.62 ₾6.78

-8.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R 41.80

$3.04 ₾7.85

-17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 R 20.08

$2.17 ₾5.60

-44.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.30

$0.80 ₾2.06

22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.92

$1.74 ₾4.51

-10.34%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.88

$2.83 ₾7.31

-17.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R 137

$9.31 ₾24.07

-11.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 R 87.7

$6.52 ₾16.85

-19.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 R 120

$12.95 ₾33.50

-44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 R 33.03

$1.68 ₾4.34

18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.24

$1.85 ₾4.79

1.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 R 31.86

$1.97 ₾5.10

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.22

$2.42 ₾6.25

-29.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.76

$0.82 ₾2.11

81.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.33

$0.74 ₾1.91

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.17

$1.34 ₾3.47

-9.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.78

$0.77 ₾2.00

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 R 61.1

$3.57 ₾9.24

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 R 80.4

$7.67 ₾19.83

-36.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R 24.15

$1.70 ₾4.39

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 31.23

$2.40 ₾6.21

-21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.52

$0.40 ₾1.05

285.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.49

$1.14 ₾2.95

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.41

$0.78 ₾2.02

-3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 R 126

$11.83 ₾30.58

-36.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 R 22.68

$1.45 ₾3.75

-5.52%

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

$36.1K R 600.3K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

47.04%

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

$33.1K R 550.2K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

48.30%

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

$150 R 2,491

$88.8 ₾230

68.87%

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

$15.25 R 253

$13.12 ₾33.93

16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 R 667

$19.67 ₾50.9

104.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.93 R 530

$64.1 ₾166

-50.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 183

$19.04 ₾49.24

-42.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 R 118

$7.12 ₾18.42

-0.42%

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

$309 R 5,141

$375 ₾971

-17.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,814 R 129.8K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 899

$104 ₾268

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.61 R 508

$39.26 ₾102

-22.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 R 1,636

$117 ₾303

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 R 1,400

$122 ₾315

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 R 6,567

$695 ₾1,798

-43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,078

$451 ₾1,167

-18.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.2K

$1,355 ₾3,504

-45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 R 12.2K

$906 ₾2,343

-19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$868 R 14.4K

$2,295 ₾5,934

-62.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$675 R 11.2K

$1,345 ₾3,478

-49.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

12.62

-6.66%

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

Last update for Howick: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Howick

$366 33.9%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 23.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Howick

$205 19%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 40.8% $84

Groceries & Markets

Howick

$195 18%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 20.1% $39

Eating Out

Howick

$138 12.8%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 38.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Howick

$120 11.1%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 42.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Howick

$46 4.3%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 69.8% $32

Getting Around

Howick

$10 * 1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 112% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Howick and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Howick vs $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $234, with Howick cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Howick

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

2 h ahead of Howick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,453

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.54 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Howick Tbilisi 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Howick
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

Howick vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,621 in Howick and $1,904 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: $395 in Howick versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Howick versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $39 in Howick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Howick gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Howick and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.