Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Balga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,762 in Balga, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Balga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,762 in Balga.

Tbilisi $1,269
Balga $2,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $3,828 in Balga.

Tbilisi $2,016
Balga $3,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $4,893 in Balga.

Tbilisi $2,763
Balga $4,893

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 54% less than in Balga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Balga is 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$20.97 A$29.71

-44.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$83.2 A$118

-54.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$11.13 A$15.77

-13.21%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.62 A$6.54

-22.73%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.80 A$3.96

-61.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.30 A$3.26

-75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$8.39 A$11.89

-68.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$8.25 A$11.69

-63.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.74 A$2.46

24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.14 A$4.45

-74.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.97 A$2.79

-11.68%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$5.09 A$7.22

-44.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.27 A$13.13

0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$9.46 A$13.40

-31.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$13.74 A$19.46

-5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$4.56 A$6.46

-63.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$3.21 A$4.55

-42.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.56 A$5.05

-44.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.85 A$6.87

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.85 A$4.03

-71.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.93 A$2.73

-61.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.26 A$3.21

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.34 A$1.90

-42.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$42.17 A$59.7

-91.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$12.46 A$17.65

-38.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$4.35 A$6.16

-60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.52 A$4.98

-31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.67 A$3.78

-85.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$78.5 A$111

-80.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.61 A$5.12

-68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.39 A$1.97

-43.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$41.13 A$58.3

-71.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.35 A$1.91

7.41%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$29.9K A$42.4K

-17.84%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-19.80%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$207 A$293

-57.00%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$33.27 A$47.13

-60.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$63.5 A$90.0

-69.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$62.6 A$88.7

2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$19.26 A$27.29

-1.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$17.26 A$24.45

-58.75%

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

$375 ₾971

$2,271 A$3,217

-83.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$23.7K A$33.6K

-55.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$78.3 A$111

32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$63.5 A$89.9

-38.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$123 A$175

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$165 A$233

-26.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,467 A$2,078

-52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,368 A$1,938

-67.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$2,000 A$2,833

-32.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,781 A$2,523

-49.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$6,422 A$9,097

-64.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$4,389 A$6,217

-69.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$3,358 A$4,757

-80.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.96

111.74%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Balga

$1.4K 49.5% 203% $917

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Balga

$365 13.2% 56.1% $131

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Balga

$335 12.1% 76% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Balga

$193 7% 12.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Balga

$303 11% 150% $182

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Balga

$97 3.5% 24% $19

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Balga

$100 3.6% 356% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $1,467 in Balga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balga pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $83 in Balga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $365 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Balga

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

12,685

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Balga 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Balga

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 Balga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $2,762 in Balga, so Tbilisi is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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 $1,467 in Balga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $83 in Balga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,762 in Balga – Tbilisi is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,762 in Balga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Balga. 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 Balga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Balga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.