Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,109 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Middelburg
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,109
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Middelburg versus $1,270 in Tbilisi.

  • Middelburg $1,109
  • Tbilisi $1,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,715 in Middelburg versus $2,008 in Tbilisi.

  • Middelburg $1,715
  • Tbilisi $2,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,321 in Middelburg versus $2,745 in Tbilisi.

  • Middelburg $2,321
  • Tbilisi $2,745

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 13% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Middelburg 18% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.90 R 163
$11.51 ₾29.79
-13.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.71 R 605
$38.27 ₾99.1
-4.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 R 92.5
$9.80 ₾25.36
-42.76%
Cappuccino
$1.31 R 21.64
$3.55 ₾9.19
-63.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 R 13.81
$1.06 ₾2.74
-20.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 R 10.84
$0.62 ₾1.60
6.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.26 R 20.70
$2.76 ₾7.16
-54.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 R 24.60
$3.00 ₾7.77
-50.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 R 19.78
$2.16 ₾5.59
-44.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 R 18.19
$0.76 ₾1.96
44.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 R 24.78
$1.74 ₾4.51
-13.79%
Eggs
$1.71 R 28.21
$2.79 ₾7.21
-38.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.97 R 98.3
$9.20 ₾23.83
-35.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.96 R 81.7
$6.53 ₾16.89
-24.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.78 R 112
$12.81 ₾33.17
-47.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.53
$1.67 ₾4.31
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 R 17.91
$1.85 ₾4.79
-41.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 R 19.55
$1.98 ₾5.13
-39.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 R 21.64
$2.51 ₾6.49
-47.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.52
$0.87 ₾2.26
91.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 R 20.50
$0.73 ₾1.89
69.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 R 19.93
$1.42 ₾3.67
-14.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 R 16.79
$0.72 ₾1.88
41.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.47 R 40.61
$3.38 ₾8.74
-26.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.85 R 79.9
$7.84 ₾20.31
-38.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 R 30.99
$1.62 ₾4.19
16.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 R 36.10
$2.38 ₾6.15
-7.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.39 R 22.86
$0.37 ₾0.96
275.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.23 R 696
$15.52 ₾40.16
172.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.55 R 9.08
$1.14 ₾2.94
-51.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 R 15.10
$0.79 ₾2.05
16.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.92 R 213
$11.57 ₾29.96
11.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 R 22.87
$1.50 ₾3.87
-7.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.6K R 520.0K
$24.6K ₾63.7K
28.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K R 572.1K
$22.4K ₾57.9K
55.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 R 2,435
$88.3 ₾228
67.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.36 R 533
$13.08 ₾33.86
147.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.53 R 618
$19.53 ₾50.6
92.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.10 R 545
$64.2 ₾166
-48.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 R 179
$19.18 ₾49.66
-43.43%
Cinema Ticket
$7.46 R 123
$6.99 ₾18.10
6.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$242 R 3,993
$373 ₾966
-35.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,646 R 93.0K
$10.7K ₾27.7K
-47.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.6 R 883
$103 ₾266
-47.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.69 R 539
$40.48 ₾105
-19.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 R 1,653
$116 ₾301
-13.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.3 R 1,422
$122 ₾316
-29.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$398 R 6,562
$677 ₾1,753
-41.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$367 R 6,053
$454 ₾1,176
-19.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$739 R 12.2K
$1,277 ₾3,305
-42.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$743 R 12.2K
$890 ₾2,304
-16.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$880 R 14.5K
$2,410 ₾6,238
-63.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$676 R 11.1K
$1,418 ₾3,670
-52.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Middelburg
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,201 R 19.8K
$703 ₾1,819
70.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
12.62
-13.31%

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

Last update for Middelburg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Middelburg
$367
Tbilisi
$454 23.6% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Middelburg
$218
Tbilisi
$121 44.5% $97
Groceries & Markets
Middelburg
$173
Tbilisi
$233 34.4% $60
Eating Out
Middelburg
$127
Tbilisi
$191 50% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Middelburg
$123
Tbilisi
$172 39.7% $49
Getting Around
Middelburg
$53
Tbilisi
$22 58.2% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Middelburg
$48
Tbilisi
$78 62.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Middelburg and $677 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Middelburg vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $233 per month, with Middelburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Middelburg
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
15:23 3:23 PM
17:23 5:23 PM
2 h ahead of Middelburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
87,348
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Middelburg Tbilisi 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Middelburg
  • 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
Middelburg vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Middelburg or Tbilisi?
Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Middelburg or in Tbilisi?
Average pay runs 71% higher in Middelburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Middelburg compared to Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Middelburg versus $677 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Middelburg compared to Tbilisi?
A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 172% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Middelburg and in Tbilisi?
Childcare runs $242 in Middelburg versus $373 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Middelburg or in Tbilisi?
At $1,109 in Middelburg versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Middelburg or Tbilisi?
Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,109 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.
How safe is Middelburg compared to Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Middelburg 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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