Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tbilisi $2,749

Seoul costs about 42% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$11.34 ₾29.35

-22.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$39.05 ₾101

75.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$9.63 ₾24.92

-21.70%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$3.46 ₾8.95

22.25%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$1.09 ₾2.82

49.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.63 ₾1.62

17.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$2.77 ₾7.17

31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$3.10 ₾8.04

98.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$2.25 ₾5.81

-10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$0.80 ₾2.07

291.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$1.76 ₾4.55

145.45%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$2.75 ₾7.11

31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$9.39 ₾24.32

89.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$6.66 ₾17.23

56.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$12.92 ₾33.45

99.69%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.67 ₾4.31

358.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.80 ₾4.65

87.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$1.92 ₾4.97

202.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$2.41 ₾6.24

165.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$0.86 ₾2.23

336.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$0.69 ₾1.80

268.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.40 ₾3.62

102.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.71 ₾1.85

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$3.51 ₾9.08

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$7.61 ₾19.69

142.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$1.63 ₾4.21

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$2.31 ₾5.98

45.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.37 ₾0.96

208.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$15.67 ₾40.57

194.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$1.14 ₾2.95

206.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.79 ₾2.05

-20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$11.86 ₾30.70

-25.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.40 ₾3.62

7.86%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$24.8K ₾64.2K

18.08%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$21.9K ₾56.6K

29.07%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$89.1 ₾231

144.08%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$13.21 ₾34.19

166.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$19.76 ₾51.1

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$64.9 ₾168

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$19.02 ₾49.24

-15.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$6.57 ₾17.02

72.15%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$377 ₾975

416.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$10.8K ₾27.9K

111.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$102 ₾265

-44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$39.70 ₾103

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$118 ₾305

-39.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$123 ₾320

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$666 ₾1,724

35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$449 ₾1,163

36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,284 ₾3,324

96.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$890 ₾2,303

42.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,425 ₾6,276

1113.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,380 ₾3,573

762.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$680 ₾1,760

436.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

12.62

-67.67%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 26.6% $163

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 51% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 55.4% $152

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 2.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 56.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 3.2% $2.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 61.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul 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 437% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

12:20 12:20 PM

5 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Tbilisi 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 42% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 194% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $377 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,266 versus $1,794 in Seoul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.