Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $3,400 in Ashgabat.

Tbilisi $1,269
Ashgabat $3,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $5,109 in Ashgabat.

Tbilisi $2,016
Ashgabat $5,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $6,818 in Ashgabat.

Tbilisi $2,763
Ashgabat $6,818

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 63% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Ashgabat is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$30.91 TMT 104

-62.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$87.1 TMT 292

-56.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$12.81 TMT 42.92

-24.59%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.98 TMT 23.40

-48.85%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.56 TMT 5.21

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.82 TMT 2.75

-31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$5.60 TMT 18.76

-53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$13.68 TMT 45.84

-77.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$4.49 TMT 15.03

-51.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$2.01 TMT 6.72

-60.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$5.77 TMT 19.34

-69.84%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$6.04 TMT 20.23

-53.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$36.95 TMT 124

-74.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$19.67 TMT 65.9

-66.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$23.60 TMT 79.1

-45.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$5.10 TMT 17.10

-67.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$8.63 TMT 28.91

-78.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$7.32 TMT 24.53

-73.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$3.67 TMT 12.30

-34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.31 TMT 7.75

-64.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.39 TMT 4.65

-46.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.63 TMT 8.81

-49.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.08 TMT 3.62

-28.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$25.92 TMT 86.8

-86.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$41.19 TMT 138

-81.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$5.08 TMT 17.01

-66.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.84 TMT 9.51

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.15 TMT 0.49

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$9.81 TMT 32.85

55.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.80 TMT 9.39

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.87 TMT 2.92

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$8.75 TMT 29.33

35.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.41 TMT 1.37

253.66%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

-44.87%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$57.0K TMT 190.8K

-60.78%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$576 TMT 1,930

-84.59%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$58.3 TMT 195

-77.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$103 TMT 347

-80.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$197 TMT 659

-67.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$43.87 TMT 147

-56.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$8.80 TMT 29.47

-19.09%

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

$375 ₾971

$23.22 TMT 77.8

1516.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$25.2K TMT 84.5K

-58.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$56.8 TMT 190

82.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$116 TMT 390

-66.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$371 TMT 1,242

-68.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$194 TMT 650

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,396 TMT 4,675

-50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,000 TMT 3,349

-54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$2,244 TMT 7,519

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,931 TMT 6,470

-53.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$3,614 TMT 12.1K

-36.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,901 TMT 9,717

-53.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$748 TMT 2,507

-11.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

9.5

32.84%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Ashgabat

$1,000 29.4% 122% $548

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Ashgabat

$664 19.5% 184% $430

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Ashgabat

$434 12.8% 128% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Ashgabat

$332 9.8% 93.2% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Ashgabat

$738 21.7% 507% $616

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ashgabat

$214 6.3% 174% $136

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 19.9% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 13% 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 $87 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $664 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

1 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

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

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.74 TMT (1 TMT = 0.267 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Ashgabat 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $3,400 in Ashgabat, so Tbilisi is about 63% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Tbilisi. 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $23 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $3,400 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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 Ashgabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tbilisi wins on affordability, Ashgabat on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.