Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.70 ฿154
$10.80 ₾28.68
-56.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.37 ฿1,488
$43.18 ₾115
5.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.43 ฿276
$8.29 ₾22.02
1.69%
Cappuccino
$2.93 ฿96.0
$3.00 ₾7.96
-2.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ฿22.48
$0.82 ₾2.17
-15.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿12.04
$0.46 ₾1.21
-19.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿79.0
$2.23 ₾5.93
8.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 ฿122
$2.92 ₾7.74
27.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 ฿73.2
$1.93 ₾5.11
15.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 ฿60.1
$0.68 ₾1.81
169.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 ฿71.1
$1.88 ₾4.99
15.43%
Eggs
$2.21 ฿72.6
$2.54 ₾6.73
-12.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.74 ฿647
$7.42 ₾19.69
166.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 ฿119
$6.19 ₾16.42
-41.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.53 ฿444
$9.36 ₾24.85
44.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 ฿107
$1.22 ₾3.25
168.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ฿52.8
$1.66 ₾4.40
-3.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ฿79.0
$1.80 ₾4.78
33.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿68.3
$2.24 ₾5.95
-7.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿50.1
$0.71 ₾1.89
115.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 ฿48.56
$0.67 ₾1.79
120.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 ฿32.42
$1.18 ₾3.13
-16.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.73
$0.66 ₾1.76
-22.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41 ฿144
$2.98 ₾7.90
47.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.38 ฿636
$7.61 ₾20.20
154.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿58.3
$1.54 ₾4.08
15.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 ฿88.9
$2.25 ₾5.98
20.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 ฿44.96
$0.36 ₾0.94
280.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.39 ฿374
$14.44 ₾38.34
-21.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿99.0
$1.49 ₾3.96
102.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 ฿32.61
$0.68 ₾1.82
45.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.10 ฿462
$7.23 ₾19.18
95.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ฿44.68
$1.14 ₾3.03
19.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K ฿924.7K
$18.5K ₾49.0K
52.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K ฿1.1M
$20.0K ₾53.0K
64.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 ฿3,991
$73.7 ₾196
65.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 ฿445
$11.64 ₾30.89
16.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.31 ฿600
$17.84 ₾47.36
2.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.2 ฿1,975
$60.1 ₾160
0.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.14 ฿562
$16.80 ₾44.61
2.02%
Cinema Ticket
$8.69 ฿285
$6.60 ₾17.53
31.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 ฿22.7K
$266 ₾707
160.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.7K ฿514.4K
$5,191 ₾13.8K
202.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 ฿1,952
$77.7 ₾206
-23.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.77 ฿1,140
$44.75 ₾119
-22.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 ฿3,758
$117 ₾310
-1.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3 ฿2,731
$113 ₾300
-26.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$613 ฿20.1K
$693 ₾1,839
-11.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$437 ฿14.3K
$462 ₾1,226
-5.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,094 ฿68.7K
$1,320 ₾3,503
58.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,509 ฿49.5K
$774 ₾2,055
94.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,749 ฿122.9K
$2,430 ₾6,452
54.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,616 ฿85.8K
$1,446 ₾3,839
80.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$508 ฿16.7K
$673 ₾1,786
-24.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
11.89
-55.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 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
Phuket vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tbilisi cheaper than Phuket?
Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Tbilisi?
On paper, Tbilisi earns 32% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Tbilisi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Tbilisi?
At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Tbilisi more family-friendly?
For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Phuket 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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