Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Banja Luka

For one person, living is cheaper in Banja Luka: $1,198 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Banja Luka

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,198 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Banja Luka $1,198

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,826 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Banja Luka $1,826

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,454 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Banja Luka $2,454

Tbilisi costs about 6% more than Banja Luka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tbilisi and Banja Luka are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Banja Luka 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$9.52 BAM 16.67

22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$49.53 BAM 86.8

-23.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$10.69 BAM 18.72

-9.64%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.84 BAM 3.23

94.02%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.55 BAM 4.47

-57.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.69 BAM 2.96

-66.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.36 BAM 4.13

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$3.37 BAM 5.90

-9.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.37 BAM 2.41

58.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.23 BAM 2.15

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.59 BAM 2.78

9.43%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.89 BAM 5.06

-2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.76 BAM 17.10

-4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$8.92 BAM 15.63

-26.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$14.07 BAM 24.65

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.84 BAM 3.23

-8.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.96 BAM 3.44

-5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.21 BAM 3.88

-10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.16 BAM 3.78

12.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.99 BAM 1.73

-17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.37 BAM 2.39

-45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.13 BAM 1.98

18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.89 BAM 1.57

-13.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.92 BAM 6.86

-8.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$7.99 BAM 14.00

-4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.99 BAM 1.74

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.41 BAM 2.47

70.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.33 BAM 2.33

-69.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$45.28 BAM 79.3

-66.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.69 BAM 2.96

-32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-30.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$16.85 BAM 29.51

-29.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.77 BAM 3.10

-18.08%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$30.4K BAM 53.3K

-19.28%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$21.1K BAM 37.0K

5.65%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$163 BAM 285

-45.35%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$16.51 BAM 28.93

-20.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$36.88 BAM 64.6

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$36.35 BAM 63.7

76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$15.04 BAM 26.35

26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$5.78 BAM 10.12

23.18%

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

$375 ₾971

$283 BAM 496

32.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$3,604 BAM 6,314

190.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$82.1 BAM 144

26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$36.26 BAM 63.5

8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$106 BAM 185

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$145 BAM 254

-15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$435 BAM 763

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$299 BAM 524

50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$658 BAM 1,153

105.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$471 BAM 826

92.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,826 BAM 4,951

-18.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,912 BAM 3,349

-29.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$887 BAM 1,555

-25.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.44

184.23%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Banja Luka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Banja Luka

$299 25% 33.8% $152

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Banja Luka

$245 20.5% 4.9% $11

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Banja Luka

$166 13.8% 13% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Banja Luka

$166 13.9% 3.5% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Banja Luka

$216 18% 77.6% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Banja Luka

$48 4% 38.8% $30

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Banja Luka

$58 4.8% 164% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $435 in Banja Luka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Banja Luka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $50 in Banja Luka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $245 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

138,963

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Banja Luka 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Banja Luka

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 Banja Luka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,796 in Banja Luka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banja Luka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $435 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $50 in Banja Luka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,198 in Banja Luka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Banja Luka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.