Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Istanbul vs $1,286 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,044 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Istanbul vs $2,802 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Istanbul costs about 20% more than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.28 ₺498

$11.72 ₾30.58

-12.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 ₺2,513

$37.88 ₾98.9

37.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 ₺443

$9.74 ₾25.43

-6.06%

Cappuccino

$4.20 ₺203

$3.41 ₾8.91

23.17%

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

$1.68 ₺81.5

$1.06 ₾2.77

58.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺28.67

$0.65 ₾1.69

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 ₺198

$2.70 ₾7.06

51.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 ₺292

$3.10 ₾8.09

94.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₺59.3

$2.20 ₾5.74

-44.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺45.74

$0.81 ₾2.10

16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 ₺115

$1.64 ₾4.27

44.51%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺119

$2.75 ₾7.19

-10.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 ₺523

$9.01 ₾23.52

19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺260

$6.55 ₾17.10

-17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.07 ₺1,020

$12.62 ₾32.94

66.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₺95.6

$1.67 ₾4.36

17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ₺110

$1.81 ₾4.73

25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ₺56.7

$1.93 ₾5.04

-39.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ₺94.0

$2.59 ₾6.76

-25.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₺30.26

$0.87 ₾2.26

-27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₺27.26

$0.65 ₾1.69

-13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₺52.8

$1.39 ₾3.63

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₺30.18

$0.80 ₾2.08

-22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺113

$3.36 ₾8.78

-30.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ₺663

$7.54 ₾19.68

81.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₺117

$1.61 ₾4.21

50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₺162

$2.25 ₾5.86

48.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.10

$0.37 ₾0.96

140.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.7 ₺3,324

$15.11 ₾39.45

354.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ₺66.4

$1.17 ₾3.06

17.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ₺43.05

$0.80 ₾2.09

11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺526

$11.33 ₾29.58

-4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₺66.1

$1.33 ₾3.47

3.01%

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

$52.1K ₺2.5M

$25.0K ₾65.2K

108.64%

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

$43.6K ₺2.1M

$22.4K ₾58.4K

94.99%

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

$90.0 ₺4,358

$89.1 ₾233

1.02%

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

$11.49 ₺556

$13.25 ₾34.58

-13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.30 ₺789

$19.46 ₾50.8

-16.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₺3,458

$68.4 ₾179

4.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.13 ₺1,120

$18.68 ₾48.77

23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 ₺392

$6.63 ₾17.32

22.02%

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

$989 ₺47.9K

$363 ₾949

172.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K ₺1.3M

$10.7K ₾27.8K

159.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ₺2,596

$104 ₾270

-48.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.45 ₺1,958

$38.84 ₾101

4.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺4,888

$117 ₾304

-13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 ₺4,508

$123 ₾320

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 ₺47.2K

$682 ₾1,782

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 ₺31.1K

$447 ₾1,166

43.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 ₺93.2K

$1,284 ₾3,353

49.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 ₺57.0K

$920 ₾2,401

28.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,080 ₺149.1K

$2,487 ₾6,492

23.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,690 ₺81.8K

$1,423 ₾3,715

18.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,219 ₺59.0K

$646 ₾1,686

88.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

12.73

222.78%

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

Last update for Istanbul: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Istanbul versus $682 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 run about 89% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Istanbul versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $232 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Istanbul vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Istanbul and $1,929 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $989 per month in Istanbul and $363 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,286, than in Istanbul at $1,538. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.