Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,669 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
Learn more

Basel Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Basel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $3,669 in Basel.

Tbilisi $1,269
Basel $3,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $5,649 in Basel.

Tbilisi $2,016
Basel $5,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $7,629 in Basel.

Tbilisi $2,763
Basel $7,629

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 65% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Basel is 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$30.27 CHF 25.11

-61.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$125 CHF 104

-69.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$17.91 CHF 14.86

-46.06%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.52 CHF 5.41

-45.25%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$6.47 CHF 5.37

-83.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$5.91 CHF 4.90

-90.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$9.41 CHF 7.81

-72.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$9.48 CHF 7.87

-67.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-5.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.04 CHF 2.52

-73.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$3.27 CHF 2.72

-46.79%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$7.97 CHF 6.61

-64.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$26.34 CHF 21.85

-64.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$27.32 CHF 22.66

-76.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$41.15 CHF 34.13

-68.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$3.70 CHF 3.07

-54.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.30 CHF 1.91

-19.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.03 CHF 2.51

-34.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.54 CHF 3.77

-46.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.68 CHF 1.39

-51.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.91 CHF 1.58

-61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.27 CHF 1.88

-40.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.60 CHF 1.32

-51.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.15 CHF 9.25

-67.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$11.90 CHF 9.87

-35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.44 CHF 2.03

-30.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.03 CHF 2.52

-20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$5.21 CHF 4.33

-92.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$105 CHF 86.9

-85.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$7.98 CHF 6.62

-85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$4.61 CHF 3.83

-83.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$83.3 CHF 69.1

-85.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$2.42 CHF 2.01

-40.08%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$38.3K CHF 31.8K

-35.87%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$40.0K CHF 33.2K

-44.14%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$296 CHF 245

-69.95%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$46.31 CHF 38.42

-71.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$63.2 CHF 52.4

-68.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$82.0 CHF 68.0

-21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$58.3 CHF 48.33

-67.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$22.84 CHF 18.95

-68.83%

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

$375 ₾971

$3,139 CHF 2,604

-88.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$32.6K CHF 27.1K

-67.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$144 CHF 120

-28.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$79.9 CHF 66.3

-50.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$159 CHF 132

-26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$195 CHF 162

-37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$2,087 CHF 1,732

-66.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,646 CHF 1,366

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$3,618 CHF 3,001

-62.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$2,966 CHF 2,461

-69.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$17.5K CHF 14.5K

-86.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

-90.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$7,080 CHF 5,873

-90.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

2.42

421.49%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Basel

$1.6K 44.9% 265% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Basel

$584 15.9% 149% $350

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Basel

$490 13.3% 157% $299

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Basel

$261 7.1% 51.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Basel

$405 11% 233% $283

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Basel

$128 3.5% 63.1% $49

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Basel

$157 4.3% 615% $135

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $2,087 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $584 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

08:31 8:31 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

174,491

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Basel 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Basel

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 Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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 $2,087 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $3,139 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $3,669 in Basel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value at $1,269 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Basel 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 65% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.