Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Benoni

For one person, living is cheaper in Benoni: $1,067 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Benoni, South Africa
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Benoni
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Benoni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,067 in Benoni.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Benoni $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,318 in Benoni.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Benoni $1,318

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,568 in Benoni.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Benoni $1,568

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 19% more expensive than in Benoni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Benoni 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$9.86 R 165
17.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$37.05 R 619
2.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$5.55 R 92.7
74.05%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.17 R 36.21
64.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$1.14 R 19.02
-5.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.84 R 14.08
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$2.37 R 39.54
10.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$2.75 R 45.92
10.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.21 R 20.21
79.34%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$1.12 R 18.66
-28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.79 R 29.83
-2.79%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$2.49 R 41.52
13.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$8.18 R 137
13.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$4.85 R 81.0
34.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$7.12 R 119
81.88%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$1.74 R 29.03
-3.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.60 R 26.73
15.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.77 R 29.64
11.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$1.56 R 26.14
55.13%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$1.07 R 17.88
-23.36%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$1.17 R 19.60
-36.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.22 R 20.33
9.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$1.30 R 21.66
-40.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.52 R 58.9
1.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$4.97 R 83.0
54.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.51 R 25.27
12.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.98 R 33.13
21.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.29 R 4.80
293.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.93 R 15.56
-16.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$14.37 R 240
-17.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.53 R 25.61
-5.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$35.4K R 592.0K
-30.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$34.4K R 575.4K
-35.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$197 R 3,294
-54.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$39.26 R 656
-66.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$37.82 R 632
-47.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$17.81 R 298
259.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$7.15 R 119
-0.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$246 R 4,108
52.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$5,379 R 89.9K
94.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$52.1 R 870
98.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$31.79 R 531
23.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$91.2 R 1,524
28.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$82.3 R 1,376
47.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$393 R 6,564
76.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$302 R 5,049
49.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$489 R 8,178
176.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Benoni
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$2,000 R 33.4K
-66.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
10.91
15.67%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Benoni: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Benoni
$302 33% $149
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Benoni
$191 18.3% $43
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Benoni
$147 23% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Benoni
$116 32.6% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Benoni
$274 126% $153
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Benoni
$32 59% $46
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Benoni
$4.9 * 77.4% $17

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 $695 in Tbilisi and $393 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays about 3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $37 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $191 per month, with Benoni cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇿🇦 Benoni
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
22:06 10:06 PM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
158,777
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Benoni 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Benoni

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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tbilisi and in Benoni?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,067 in Benoni, so Benoni is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 67% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Tbilisi and in Benoni?
Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $393 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Benoni?
All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,067 in Benoni – Benoni is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,000 go in Tbilisi compared to Benoni?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Benoni gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Benoni?
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.
Is Tbilisi or Benoni safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Benoni are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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