Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Tbilisi

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Elizabeth and in Tbilisi: $1,216 and $1,266 a month, rent and utilities included.

Port Elizabeth
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,216
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Port Elizabeth $1,216
  • Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $1,835 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Port Elizabeth $1,835
  • Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Port Elizabeth $2,453
  • Tbilisi $2,749

Port Elizabeth is about 4% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Elizabeth and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.00 R 181
$11.34 ₾29.35
-3.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.67 R 687
$39.05 ₾101
6.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.84 R 96.2
$9.63 ₾24.92
-39.36%
Cappuccino
$2.17 R 35.81
$3.46 ₾8.95
-37.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 R 16.91
$1.09 ₾2.82
-5.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 R 12.59
$0.63 ₾1.62
20.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.69 R 44.37
$2.77 ₾7.17
-2.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 R 53.3
$3.10 ₾8.04
4.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 R 18.39
$2.25 ₾5.81
-50.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 R 17.20
$0.80 ₾2.07
30.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 R 24.94
$1.76 ₾4.55
-14.20%
Eggs
$2.81 R 46.35
$2.75 ₾7.11
2.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.58 R 141
$9.39 ₾24.32
-8.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 R 87.7
$6.66 ₾17.23
-19.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.36 R 138
$12.92 ₾33.45
-35.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 R 36.04
$1.67 ₾4.31
31.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 R 24.58
$1.80 ₾4.65
-17.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 R 28.04
$1.92 ₾4.97
-11.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 R 29.74
$2.41 ₾6.24
-24.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.41
$0.86 ₾2.23
93.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 R 23.83
$0.69 ₾1.80
110.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 R 20.72
$1.40 ₾3.62
-10.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 R 16.39
$0.71 ₾1.85
39.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.26 R 53.8
$3.51 ₾9.08
-7.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.82 R 79.4
$7.61 ₾19.69
-36.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.99
$1.63 ₾4.21
-22.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 R 30.00
$2.31 ₾5.98
-21.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 R 18.17
$0.37 ₾0.96
197.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.67 R 604
$15.67 ₾40.57
134.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.04 R 33.68
$1.14 ₾2.95
78.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.50 R 8.25
$0.79 ₾2.05
-36.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.45 R 139
$11.86 ₾30.70
-28.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 R 24.38
$1.40 ₾3.62
5.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K R 589.5K
$24.8K ₾64.2K
44.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K R 562.5K
$21.9K ₾56.6K
56.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 R 2,058
$89.1 ₾231
40.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.90 R 575
$13.21 ₾34.19
164.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.55 R 734
$19.76 ₾51.1
125.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.20 R 530
$64.9 ₾168
-50.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.27 R 383
$19.02 ₾49.24
22.34%
Cinema Ticket
$10.74 R 177
$6.57 ₾17.02
63.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$177 R 2,924
$377 ₾975
-52.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,046 R 99.6K
$10.8K ₾27.9K
-44.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.4 R 1,193
$102 ₾265
-29.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 R 631
$39.70 ₾103
-3.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 R 1,806
$118 ₾305
-6.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 R 1,574
$123 ₾320
-22.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$598 R 9,859
$666 ₾1,724
-10.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 R 6,838
$449 ₾1,163
-7.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$808 R 13.3K
$1,284 ₾3,324
-37.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$682 R 11.2K
$890 ₾2,303
-23.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$764 R 12.6K
$2,425 ₾6,276
-68.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$522 R 8,604
$1,380 ₾3,573
-62.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Elizabeth
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,625 R 26.8K
$680 ₾1,760
139.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.94
12.62
-5.39%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Elizabeth
$415
Tbilisi
$449 8.2% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Elizabeth
$204
Tbilisi
$122 40.3% $82
Groceries & Markets
Port Elizabeth
$197
Tbilisi
$234 18.9% $37
Eating Out
Port Elizabeth
$159
Tbilisi
$188 18.5% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Port Elizabeth
$142
Tbilisi
$172 21.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Port Elizabeth
$54
Tbilisi
$78 45.4% $24
Getting Around
Port Elizabeth
$46
Tbilisi
$22 51.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Port Elizabeth versus $666 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 139% higher in Port Elizabeth, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Port Elizabeth vs $234 in Tbilisi – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
10:03 10:03 AM
12:03 12:03 PM
2 h ahead of Port Elizabeth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,050,000
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 19, 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 19, 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
  • Port Elizabeth Tbilisi 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Elizabeth
  • 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
Port Elizabeth vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Port Elizabeth or Tbilisi?
Tbilisi costs about 4% more than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Port Elizabeth and in Tbilisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Port Elizabeth or Tbilisi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Port Elizabeth or in Tbilisi?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Port Elizabeth and in Tbilisi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Port Elizabeth and $39.00 in Tbilisi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Port Elizabeth or in Tbilisi?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Elizabeth, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Port Elizabeth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Port Elizabeth or Tbilisi?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Port Elizabeth costs $1,216 versus $1,266 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Port Elizabeth compared to Tbilisi?
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.
Should I move to Port Elizabeth or to Tbilisi?
If budget matters most, go with Port Elizabeth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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