Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,148 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Tbilisi despite lower rent and utilities.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,242
/mo nomad
Baghdad
🇮🇶 Iraq
$1,148
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,148 in Baghdad.

  • Tbilisi $1,242
  • Baghdad $1,148

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $1,702 in Baghdad.

  • Tbilisi $1,962
  • Baghdad $1,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $2,256 in Baghdad.

  • Tbilisi $2,682
  • Baghdad $2,256

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 8% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Baghdad 14% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 ₾28.46
$4.87 IQD 7,354
125.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.21 ₾99.0
$34.91 IQD 52.7K
9.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.58 ₾24.84
$7.52 IQD 11.4K
27.39%
Cappuccino
$3.59 ₾9.31
$3.19 IQD 4,827
12.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ₾2.66
$0.36 IQD 548
186.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.64
$0.25 IQD 379
152.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ₾7.10
$3.83 IQD 5,788
-28.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ₾8.22
$3.90 IQD 5,892
-18.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ₾5.53
$1.03 IQD 1,563
106.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.85 IQD 1,284
-12.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 ₾4.46
$1.53 IQD 2,308
12.42%
Eggs
$2.78 ₾7.21
$1.92 IQD 2,901
44.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 ₾24.56
$3.95 IQD 5,965
140.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.45 ₾16.71
$4.60 IQD 6,954
40.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 ₾33.76
$14.07 IQD 21.3K
-7.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 ₾4.37
$1.14 IQD 1,722
48.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.76
$1.09 IQD 1,647
68.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 ₾4.90
$1.04 IQD 1,567
81.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.40 ₾6.22
$0.74 IQD 1,125
224.32%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 ₾2.17
$0.68 IQD 1,034
23.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 ₾1.75
$0.64 IQD 970
6.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.68
$0.66 IQD 1,003
115.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.01
$0.68 IQD 1,020
13.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56 ₾9.22
$1.93 IQD 2,922
84.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 ₾19.39
$13.58 IQD 20.5K
-44.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₾4.43
$2.13 IQD 3,219
-19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₾5.94
$2.18 IQD 3,296
5.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.04
$0.68 IQD 1,030
-41.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.15 ₾39.27
$23.19 IQD 35.0K
-34.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$2.25 IQD 3,402
-47.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.03
$1.57 IQD 2,373
-50.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 ₾30.50
$7.68 IQD 11.6K
53.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ₾3.65
$0.68 IQD 1,030
107.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K ₾62.9K
$19.1K IQD 28.8M
27.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K ₾56.3K
$19.4K IQD 29.3M
12.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.6 ₾227
$218 IQD 330.0K
-59.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.33 ₾34.55
$19.65 IQD 29.7K
-32.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.51 ₾50.6
$42.88 IQD 64.8K
-54.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.7 ₾168
$47.30 IQD 71.5K
36.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.85 ₾48.86
$21.47 IQD 32.4K
-12.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ₾16.97
$10.64 IQD 16.1K
-38.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾978
$168 IQD 253.1K
125.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₾27.5K
$3,430 IQD 5.2M
209.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$28.72 IQD 43.4K
255.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.36 ₾105
$32.11 IQD 48.5K
25.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾302
$68.4 IQD 103.3K
70.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 ₾314
$49.01 IQD 74.1K
147.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$675 ₾1,749
$577 IQD 871.8K
16.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,170
$361 IQD 545.2K
25.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,275 ₾3,305
$1,008 IQD 1.5M
26.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$883 ₾2,288
$669 IQD 1.0M
32.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,415 ₾6,259
$4,647 IQD 7.0M
-48.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₾3,640
$1,569 IQD 2.4M
-10.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Baghdad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$706 ₾1,830
$593 IQD 895.6K
19.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
4.12
206.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Baghdad
$361 20.1% $91
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$232
Baghdad
$186 19.9% $46
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$186
Baghdad
$129 30.7% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Baghdad
$80 53.1% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$120
Baghdad
$281 133% $160
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Baghdad
$69 11.9% $9.2
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Baghdad
$36 64.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $577 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 19% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $35.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $186 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇮🇶 Baghdad
🕒 Local time
13:41 1:41 PM
12:41 12:41 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
7,216,040 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Baghdad 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Baghdad?
Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Baghdad?
Average pay runs 19% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Baghdad?
Rent for a central apartment: $675 in Tbilisi versus $577 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Tbilisi compared to Baghdad?
A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 53% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Tbilisi and in Baghdad?
Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $168 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tbilisi or in Baghdad?
At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,242 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tbilisi or Baghdad?
Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Baghdad?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Baghdad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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