Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Arak

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Arak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $480 in Arak.

Tbilisi $1,269
Arak $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $755 in Arak.

Tbilisi $2,016
Arak $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,030 in Arak.

Tbilisi $2,763
Arak $1,030

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 165% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Arak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.55 $3.55

227.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$12.88 $12.88

193.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.09 $4.09

136.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.33 $1.33

168.42%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.51 $0.51

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.66 $1.66

-66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.54 $0.54

301.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.58 $0.58

37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.96 $1.96

-11.22%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.28 $1.28

121.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$2.14 $2.14

335.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$2.53 $2.53

157.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.31 $10.31

25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$0.77 $0.77

118.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.94 $0.94

96.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$0.63 $0.63

212.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.48 $0.48

404.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.42 $0.42

95.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.44 $0.44

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.48 $0.48

179.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.28 $0.28

175.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.52 $2.52

41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.10 $0.10

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$9.70 $9.70

57.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.25 $0.25

356.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.12 $0.12

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$1.02 $1.02

1059.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.10 $0.10

1350.00%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$50.3K $50.3K

-51.18%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-36.09%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$10.03 $10.03

785.34%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$1.43 $1.43

817.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$4.01 $4.01

390.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$9.93 $9.93

545.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$24.64 $24.64

-22.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$1.11 $1.11

541.44%

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

$375 ₾971

$83.3 $83.3

350.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$2,372 $2,372

341.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$13.59 $13.59

662.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$8.51 $8.51

361.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$81.9 $81.9

43.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$52.1 $52.1

133.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$294 $294

136.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$210 $210

115.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$781 $781

73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$357 $357

153.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,369 $1,369

67.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$647 $647

107.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$375 $375

76.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

18.5

-31.78%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Arak

$210 43.7% 53.5% $242

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Arak

$96 20% 59% $138

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Arak

$65 13.6% 65.7% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Arak

$70 14.6% 59.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Arak

$15 3.2% 87.3% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Arak

$12 2.5% 84.5% $66

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Arak

$11 2.3% 50% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $294 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 77% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $13 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $96 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

30 min behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Arak 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Arak

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

Tbilisi vs Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $294 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $480 in Arak – Arak is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 36% less than in Tbilisi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $480 in Arak versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Arak 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 Arak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.