Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuwara Eliya and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $510 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Tbilisi, Georgia
Nuwara Eliya
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$510
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,278 in Tbilisi.

  • Nuwara Eliya $510
  • Tbilisi $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $827 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,017 in Tbilisi.

  • Nuwara Eliya $827
  • Tbilisi $2,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,145 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,755 in Tbilisi.

  • Nuwara Eliya $1,145
  • Tbilisi $2,755

Living in Nuwara Eliya costs roughly 60% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nuwara Eliya 62% lower, Tbilisi 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.85 LKR 1,282
$11.62 ₾30.07
-66.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.56 LKR 8,169
$38.41 ₾99.4
-36.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 LKR 2,545
$9.74 ₾25.20
-21.46%
Cappuccino
$2.43 LKR 809
$3.56 ₾9.21
-31.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 LKR 122
$1.08 ₾2.80
-65.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 LKR 82.5
$0.56 ₾1.46
-55.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 LKR 728
$2.73 ₾7.05
-19.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 LKR 1,008
$3.13 ₾8.09
-3.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 LKR 520
$2.14 ₾5.55
-27.10%
White Bread (500g)
$0.53 LKR 175
$0.75 ₾1.95
-29.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 LKR 247
$1.80 ₾4.66
-58.89%
Eggs
$1.70 LKR 564
$2.80 ₾7.25
-39.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.44 LKR 5,136
$9.43 ₾24.41
63.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.10 LKR 1,696
$7.00 ₾18.10
-27.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.42 LKR 2,467
$12.69 ₾32.83
-41.53%
Apples (1kg)
$6.74 LKR 2,243
$1.63 ₾4.22
313.50%
Banana (1kg)
$0.84 LKR 279
$1.84 ₾4.77
-54.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.17 LKR 1,388
$1.97 ₾5.09
111.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 LKR 422
$2.47 ₾6.39
-48.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 LKR 360
$0.75 ₾1.95
44.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 LKR 276
$0.67 ₾1.74
23.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 LKR 403
$1.41 ₾3.66
-14.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 LKR 150
$0.72 ₾1.86
-37.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.43 LKR 3,471
$3.51 ₾9.08
197.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 LKR 4,582
$7.89 ₾20.40
74.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 LKR 643
$1.70 ₾4.41
13.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 LKR 989
$2.37 ₾6.12
25.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.38 ₾0.98
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$15.29 ₾39.56
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.37 LKR 124
$1.19 ₾3.08
-68.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 LKR 103
$0.74 ₾1.91
-58.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 LKR 286
$11.89 ₾30.76
-92.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 LKR 441
$1.46 ₾3.77
-8.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.7K LKR 14.5M
$25.0K ₾64.6K
74.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.6K LKR 15.2M
$22.8K ₾59.1K
99.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.4 LKR 18.8K
$88.1 ₾228
-36.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.13 LKR 1,375
$12.71 ₾32.87
-67.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61 LKR 6,854
$19.79 ₾51.2
4.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$64.3 ₾166
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.50 LKR 1,496
$6.65 ₾17.20
-32.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$39.94 LKR 13.3K
$371 ₾961
-89.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.4K LKR 5.8M
$9,163 ₾23.7K
89.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.00 LKR 5,988
$102 ₾264
-82.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.55 LKR 5,838
$39.65 ₾103
-55.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 LKR 26.5K
$118 ₾306
-32.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.09 LKR 13.7K
$120 ₾310
-65.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$690 ₾1,784
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$461 ₾1,193
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,362 ₾3,523
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$897 ₾2,321
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,277 ₾5,891
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,378 ₾3,564
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nuwara Eliya
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$710 ₾1,836
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.5
12.53
-0.24%

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

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Nuwara Eliya
$245
Tbilisi
$235 4% $9.8
Eating Out
Nuwara Eliya
$102
Tbilisi
$191 86.9% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nuwara Eliya
$81
Tbilisi
$121 48.7% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Nuwara Eliya
$70
Tbilisi
$171 143% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Nuwara Eliya
$9 *
Tbilisi
$78 762% $69
Getting Around
Nuwara Eliya
$1.9 *
Tbilisi
$22 1029% $20
Accommodation & Living
Nuwara Eliya
- *
Tbilisi
$461

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Nuwara Eliya vs $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $235, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
07:13 7:13 AM
05:43 5:43 AM
1 h 30 min behind Nuwara Eliya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,500
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nuwara Eliya Tbilisi 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nuwara Eliya
  • 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
Nuwara Eliya vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nuwara Eliya cheaper than Tbilisi?
Nuwara Eliya is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $764 in Nuwara Eliya and $1,918 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $40 in Nuwara Eliya versus $371 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Nuwara Eliya or in Tbilisi?
Dining out is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya – a meal for two runs $25 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Nuwara Eliya or in Tbilisi?
At $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,278 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nuwara Eliya but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Nuwara Eliya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Nuwara Eliya or in Tbilisi?
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.
Which city is safer, Nuwara Eliya or Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Nuwara Eliya and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Nuwara Eliya vs other spots: cost of living compared

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