Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Bamako

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamako: $899 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Bamako

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $899 in Bamako.

Tbilisi $1,270
Bamako $899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,467 in Bamako.

Tbilisi $2,008
Bamako $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $2,034 in Bamako.

Tbilisi $2,745
Bamako $2,034

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 41% more expensive than in Bamako, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Bamako 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$8.65 F CFA 5,042

33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$35.32 F CFA 20.6K

8.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$8.02 F CFA 4,678

22.19%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$1.66 F CFA 967

113.86%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.97 F CFA 567

9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.69 F CFA 405

-10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$2.36 F CFA 1,376

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$21.09 F CFA 12.3K

-85.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.92 F CFA 1,120

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$3.80 F CFA 2,218

-80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$6.07 F CFA 3,537

-54.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$17.47 F CFA 10.2K

-47.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$15.92 F CFA 9,284

-58.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$12.59 F CFA 7,342

1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$4.11 F CFA 2,397

-59.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.02 F CFA 595

81.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.90 F CFA 1,689

-31.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$2.07 F CFA 1,204

21.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.25 F CFA 728

-30.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.14 F CFA 664

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.09 F CFA 51.0

1477.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$2.80 F CFA 1,633

-74.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$1.57 F CFA 916

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$1.67 F CFA 973

42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.25 F CFA 729

-36.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.12 F CFA 655

33.93%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

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

$88.3 ₾228

$152 F CFA 88.5K

-41.86%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$66.1 F CFA 38.6K

-70.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$69.6 F CFA 40.6K

-7.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

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

$373 ₾966

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$176 F CFA 102.4K

285.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$80.4 F CFA 46.9K

465.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$503 F CFA 293.1K

154.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$302 F CFA 176.2K

194.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,258 F CFA 733.7K

12.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$266 F CFA 155.2K

164.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bamako: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Bamako

$80 8.9% 82.3% $374

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Bamako

$351 * 39.1% 50.8% $118

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Bamako

$174 19.3% 8.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Bamako

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Bamako

$218 * 24.2% 80.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Bamako

$70 * 7.7% 11% $8.6

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Bamako

$6.3 * 0.7% 71.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $176 in Bamako. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 164% 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 Bamako. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $351, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇱 Bamako

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

4 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,809,106 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Bamako 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Bamako

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 Bamako: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 164% 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $176 in Bamako. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Tbilisi versus $899 in Bamako – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 51% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Bamako versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bamako but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Bamako the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bamako delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $899 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bamako hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Bamako 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 Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.