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: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $901 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,440 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $1,979 in Baku.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 34% more expensive than Baku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Baku 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.69

$8.84 ₼15.03

22.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$34.60 ₼58.8

24.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.02

$7.73 ₼13.13

7.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$3.66 ₼6.22

-18.03%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.79 ₼1.34

3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.44 ₼0.75

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$1.79 ₼3.04

24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.74

$2.90 ₼4.93

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$1.37 ₼2.33

40.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$0.47 ₼0.80

44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$2.37 ₼4.03

-20.68%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$1.36 ₼2.30

86.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.69

$5.24 ₼8.90

41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$4.86 ₼8.26

27.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$10.39 ₼17.65

-9.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$1.30 ₼2.20

-6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.82 ₼3.09

-8.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$1.46 ₼2.48

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.95

$1.81 ₼3.08

23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$0.78 ₼1.32

-8.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$0.48 ₼0.82

39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$0.39 ₼0.67

202.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.65 ₼1.11

1.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$3.46 ₼5.87

-13.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.20

$8.99 ₼15.27

-15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$1.34 ₼2.29

14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

$2.82 ₼4.79

-20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.30 ₼0.51

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.35

$17.96 ₼30.53

-19.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$2.10 ₼3.57

-29.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.61 ₼1.04

11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$3.62 ₼6.15

99.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$0.75 ₼1.28

52.00%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$20.6K ₼35.0K

-10.47%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$21.8K ₼37.0K

-8.39%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$60.6 ₼103

21.62%

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

$11.64 ₾30.90

$11.97 ₼20.34

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.38

$15.13 ₼25.72

17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$42.50 ₼72.2

41.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.62

$21.86 ₼37.15

-23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

$5.83 ₼9.91

13.21%

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

$266 ₾707

$246 ₼418

8.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$6,448 ₼11.0K

-19.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$58.8 ₼99.9

32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$54.4 ₼92.4

-17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$122 ₼207

-3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$99.0 ₼168

14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$469 ₼797

47.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$268 ₼455

72.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,504

$946 ₼1,609

39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$456 ₼775

69.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,454

$2,302 ₼3,913

5.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,839

$1,255 ₼2,133

15.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,786

$563 ₼957

19.45%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baku: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $469 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: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $35.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $180 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $901 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tbilisi pays 19% more on average, 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $469 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $246 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $901 in Baku versus $1,209 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 34% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.