Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 3% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.71

$6.55 SAR 24.58

64.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$44.10 SAR 166

-2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.04

$7.87 SAR 29.52

5.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.97

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-17.13%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.76 SAR 2.84

7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.29 SAR 1.08

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.75

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.12

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$1.01 SAR 3.79

-32.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾5.00

$1.55 SAR 5.82

21.29%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.74

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.70

$6.77 SAR 25.40

9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.44

$7.45 SAR 27.96

-16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.87

$13.04 SAR 48.93

-28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-45.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.64 SAR 6.16

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$1.75 SAR 6.56

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.96

$1.56 SAR 5.87

43.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-44.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$1.31 SAR 4.92

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.59 SAR 2.20

11.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$6.29 SAR 23.61

-52.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-66.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.38

$39.20 SAR 147

-63.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.97

$2.61 SAR 9.78

-42.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$1.92 SAR 7.22

-64.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.20

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-46.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$0.59 SAR 2.21

93.22%

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

$18.5K ₾49.1K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

-31.70%

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

$20.0K ₾53.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

-11.63%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$104 SAR 390

-29.17%

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

$11.64 ₾30.92

$33.90 SAR 127

-65.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.41

$72.7 SAR 273

-75.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$43.87 SAR 165

37.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.65

$35.18 SAR 132

-52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.55

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-57.47%

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

$266 ₾708

$349 SAR 1,310

-23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

-24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$21.12 SAR 79.3

267.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$61.3 SAR 230

-27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$79.5 SAR 298

46.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$82.4 SAR 309

37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,840

$445 SAR 1,669

55.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,227

$382 SAR 1,434

20.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,507

$388 SAR 1,455

240.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,057

$614 SAR 2,303

26.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,458

$2,559 SAR 9,604

-5.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,842

$1,508 SAR 5,658

-4.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,788

$1,728 SAR 6,485

-61.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

4.42

169.00%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $205 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

Tbilisi vs Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Ar-rass differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,169 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 157% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Tbilisi versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Ar-rass are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.