Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,688 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tartu, Estonia
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tartu
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,688
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tartu vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Tartu $1,688
  • Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $2,570 per month in Tartu vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Tartu $2,570
  • Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $3,452 per month in Tartu vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Tartu $3,452
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Tartu costs about 33% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tartu sits 24% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.92 €15.16
$11.63 ₾30.07
45.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.1 €62.8
$37.83 ₾97.8
85.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.33 €10.15
$9.66 ₾24.98
17.29%
Cappuccino
$3.99 €3.57
$3.57 ₾9.24
11.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.96
$1.08 ₾2.78
205.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 €3.33
$0.56 ₾1.45
562.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 €5.90
$2.62 ₾6.78
151.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.30 €6.54
$3.04 ₾7.85
140.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.10
$2.17 ₾5.60
-43.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 €1.74
$0.80 ₾2.06
142.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.74 ₾4.51
32.76%
Eggs
$2.96 €2.66
$2.83 ₾7.31
4.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 €11.26
$9.31 ₾24.07
35.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 €7.64
$6.52 ₾16.85
30.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.66 €13.14
$12.95 ₾33.50
13.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.68 ₾4.33
22.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 €1.29
$1.85 ₾4.79
-22.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.97 ₾5.10
22.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 €2.72
$2.42 ₾6.25
25.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.82 ₾2.11
32.93%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 €0.75
$0.74 ₾1.91
12.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.34 ₾3.47
40.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 €1.11
$0.77 ₾2.00
61.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.03
$3.57 ₾9.24
88.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.23 €9.17
$7.67 ₾19.83
33.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.70 ₾4.39
21.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.18
$2.40 ₾6.21
1.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$0.40 ₾1.05
317.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.43 €27.26
$15.23 ₾39.38
99.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 €3.12
$1.14 ₾2.95
206.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.78 ₾2.02
33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.18 €24.36
$11.83 ₾30.58
129.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.45 ₾3.75
31.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €25.0K
$24.6K ₾63.6K
13.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K €26.4K
$22.3K ₾57.8K
32.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 €277
$88.8 ₾230
248.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.74 €15.90
$13.12 ₾33.93
35.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.35 €32.58
$19.67 ₾50.9
84.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.46 €38.05
$64.1 ₾166
-33.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.84 €30.33
$19.04 ₾49.24
77.73%
Cinema Ticket
$11.80 €10.58
$7.12 ₾18.42
65.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$461 €413
$375 ₾971
22.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.6K
$10.5K ₾27.1K
13.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €98.4
$104 ₾268
5.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.51 €42.57
$39.26 ₾102
21.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.5
$117 ₾303
-12.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$122 ₾315
-0.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$642 €575
$695 ₾1,798
-7.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$464 €416
$451 ₾1,167
2.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 €1,054
$1,355 ₾3,504
-13.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$847 €759
$906 ₾2,343
-6.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,902 €3,496
$2,295 ₾5,934
70.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,828 €2,534
$1,345 ₾3,478
110.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tartu
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,935 €1,734
$664 ₾1,718
191.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
12.62
-68.86%

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

Last update for Tartu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tartu
$464
Tbilisi
$451 2.8% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
$364
Tbilisi
$122 66.6% $242
Eating Out
Tartu
$293
Tbilisi
$191 34.9% $102
Groceries & Markets
Tartu
$284
Tbilisi
$234 17.6% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
$172
Tbilisi
$172 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
$66
Tbilisi
$78 18.5% $12
Getting Around
Tartu
$46
Tbilisi
$22 52.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $642 in Tartu versus $695 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 in Tartu are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Tartu versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇪 Tartu
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
07:20 7:20 AM
09:20 9:20 AM
2 h ahead of Tartu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,414
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tartu Tbilisi 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tartu
  • 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
Tartu vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tartu and in Tbilisi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tartu, $1,269 in Tbilisi – Tbilisi comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Tartu compared to Tbilisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,532 per month in Tartu and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Tartu and in Tbilisi?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $642 in Tartu and $695 in Tbilisi. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tartu or Tbilisi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,688 in Tartu and $1,269 in Tbilisi. That makes Tbilisi about 25% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Tartu and in Tbilisi?
Public transport costs about 50% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $2,000 go in Tartu compared to Tbilisi?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tartu and $1,269 in Tbilisi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Tartu or Tbilisi?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $1,688 in Tartu. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Tartu or Tbilisi safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Tartu and Tbilisi?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tartu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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