Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ba'qubah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba'qubah: $524 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ba'qubah
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Ba'qubah Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Ba'qubah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ba'qubah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $524 in Ba'qubah.

Tbilisi $1,266
Ba'qubah $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $826 in Ba'qubah.

Tbilisi $2,007
Ba'qubah $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $1,128 in Ba'qubah.

Tbilisi $2,749
Ba'qubah $1,128

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 142% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Ba'qubah 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$4.18 IQD 6,323

171.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

193.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$5.70 IQD 8,615

68.95%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$1.01 IQD 1,520

242.57%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.47 IQD 707

131.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.18 IQD 266

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$1.66 IQD 2,516

66.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$4.05 IQD 6,113

-23.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.03 IQD 1,559

118.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.47 IQD 704

70.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.03 IQD 1,552

70.87%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$1.27 IQD 1,924

116.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$2.00 IQD 3,016

369.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$2.10 IQD 3,179

217.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$9.09 IQD 13.7K

42.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$0.84 IQD 1,266

98.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$0.93 IQD 1,402

93.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$0.85 IQD 1,290

125.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$0.47 IQD 711

412.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$0.51 IQD 776

68.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$0.60 IQD 908

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.43 IQD 648

225.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.15 IQD 220

373.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.20 IQD 3,326

59.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

-28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.45 IQD 2,197

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.80 IQD 2,722

28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.43 IQD 644

-13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$18.36 IQD 27.7K

-14.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.61 IQD 2,427

-29.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.57 IQD 2,368

-49.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$4.71 IQD 7,120

151.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.31 IQD 473

351.61%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

50.96%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

25.63%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$50.1 IQD 75.6K

78.03%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

8.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$22.83 IQD 34.5K

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$16.53 IQD 25.0K

292.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$3.36 IQD 5,078

95.54%

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

$377 ₾975

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

1554.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$555 IQD 838.8K

1844.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

516.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

136.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$60.1 IQD 90.9K

95.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$22.70 IQD 34.3K

443.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$178 IQD 268.4K

274.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$130 IQD 197.1K

244.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$371 IQD 560.2K

246.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$308 IQD 465.5K

188.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$704 IQD 1.1M

244.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$579 IQD 874.1K

138.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$627 IQD 946.7K

8.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

2.53

398.81%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Ba'qubah

$130 24.9% 71% $319

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Ba'qubah

$122 23.3% 47.9% $112

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Ba'qubah

$82 15.6% 56.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Ba'qubah

$52 10% 69.7% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Ba'qubah

$85 16.2% 30.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ba'qubah

$23 4.4% 70.2% $55

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Ba'qubah

$30 5.6% 32.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 8% 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: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $13.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $122 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇶 Ba'qubah

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

268,866

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

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).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Ba'qubah 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $666 in Tbilisi versus $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Ba'qubah versus $1,266 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.