Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Baku Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Baku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $904 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,425 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $1,946 in Baku.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 33% more expensive than in Baku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Baku 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$8.84 ₼15.02

22.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$34.67 ₼58.9

26.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$7.63 ₼12.97

8.91%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$3.70 ₼6.29

-19.73%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.83 ₼1.41

-7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.47 ₼0.79

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$1.73 ₼2.95

23.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$2.98 ₼5.07

-3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.38 ₼2.34

37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.51 ₼0.87

39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$2.26 ₼3.84

-15.49%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$1.35 ₼2.29

83.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$5.28 ₼8.96

46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.87 ₼8.28

26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$10.33 ₼17.56

-7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.33 ₼2.25

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.80 ₼3.06

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$1.47 ₼2.49

25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$1.88 ₼3.20

23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.77 ₼1.31

-7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.51 ₼0.87

31.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.39 ₼0.67

205.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.65 ₼1.11

1.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$3.57 ₼6.06

-18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$8.65 ₼14.69

-11.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.33 ₼2.26

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$2.78 ₼4.72

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.30 ₼0.51

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$17.38 ₼29.54

-15.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$2.01 ₼3.42

-25.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.57 ₼0.97

19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$3.48 ₼5.91

108.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$0.74 ₼1.26

47.30%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$20.0K ₼34.0K

-6.89%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$22.4K ₼38.0K

-8.55%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$61.6 ₼105

18.58%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$11.90 ₼20.23

0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$15.40 ₼26.17

16.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$43.36 ₼73.7

40.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$22.51 ₼38.25

-26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$5.95 ₼10.12

12.61%

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

$269 ₾705

$253 ₼431

6.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$6,443 ₼10.9K

-20.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$57.4 ₼97.5

33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$54.2 ₼92.1

-19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$123 ₼209

-2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$98.5 ₼167

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$475 ₼807

44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$268 ₼455

75.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$958 ₼1,628

41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$449 ₼764

75.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$2,262 ₼3,845

9.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,272 ₼2,163

14.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$556 ₼944

18.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

8.87

34.05%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Baku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $475 in Baku. 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: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $35.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $179 per month, with Baku 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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Baku differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $904 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Tbilisi versus $475 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $253 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $904 in Baku versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Baku 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 Baku 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 Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.