Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,055 in Mechelen versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,129 in Mechelen versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,203 in Mechelen versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Mechelen is roughly 73% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mechelen is 53% above, Tbilisi is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.33 €19.93

$11.15 ₾30.00

109.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 €100

$43.13 ₾116

172.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 €10.96

$8.22 ₾22.11

56.08%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.56

$3.13 ₾8.42

32.91%

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

$3.37 €2.88

$0.74 ₾2.00

355.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.63

$0.45 ₾1.22

584.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.79

$2.13 ₾5.74

162.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €3.99

$2.99 ₾8.06

56.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.89 ₾5.09

-32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.34

$0.73 ₾1.97

275.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$1.85 ₾4.98

28.11%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.49

$2.45 ₾6.58

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 €14.80

$7.85 ₾21.12

120.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 €10.26

$6.25 ₾16.82

92.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 €16.23

$9.77 ₾26.28

94.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.57

$1.21 ₾3.26

148.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.07

$1.59 ₾4.28

52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.79 ₾4.81

29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 €2.63

$2.32 ₾6.25

32.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$0.71 ₾1.91

159.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.80

$0.67 ₾1.81

214.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.18 ₾3.16

16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.71 ₾1.92

14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.48 €10.66

$2.92 ₾7.85

327.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 €8.16

$7.25 ₾19.50

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.55 ₾4.17

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.31 ₾6.21

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.24 €2.76

$0.38 ₾1.03

752.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 €49.36

$14.81 ₾39.83

290.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €4.96

$1.48 ₾3.98

292.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 €2.10

$0.69 ₾1.86

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.97 €40.11

$7.45 ₾20.05

530.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.58

$1.15 ₾3.10

61.74%

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

$34.0K €29.1K

$18.0K ₾48.4K

89.06%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$19.8K ₾53.4K

63.25%

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

$201 €172

$73.4 ₾198

173.77%

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

$24.77 €21.15

$11.64 ₾31.32

112.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €44.04

$17.77 ₾47.79

190.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.33 €25.91

$60.6 ₾163

-49.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 €12.06

$16.44 ₾44.21

-14.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 €12.92

$6.51 ₾17.52

132.26%

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

$573 €489

$263 ₾707

118.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.7K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

166.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.6

$77.7 ₾209

45.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 €44.51

$44.39 ₾119

17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.2

$118 ₾317

-7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €140

$114 ₾307

43.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 €759

$693 ₾1,865

28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 €648

$462 ₾1,244

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 €1,168

$1,337 ₾3,597

2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 €937

$779 ₾2,096

40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,321 €1,982

$2,530 ₾6,805

-8.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 €982

$1,430 ₾3,847

-19.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,015

$633 ₾1,702

272.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

11.89

-72.50%

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

Last update for Mechelen: April 28, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Mechelen and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mechelen pays 273% 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: $118 in Mechelen vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 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

Mechelen vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mechelen pays 273% more on average, 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: $889 in Mechelen versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 290% less than in Mechelen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Mechelen versus $263 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $2,055 in Mechelen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Mechelen. 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 Mechelen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mechelen 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 73% less than in Mechelen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.