Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Bistrita

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $845 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
Learn more

Bistrita Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Bistrita

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $845 in Bistrita, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Bistrita $845

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,288 in Bistrita, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Bistrita $1,288

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,730 in Bistrita, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Bistrita $1,730

Tbilisi costs about 50% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Bistrita are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Bistrita 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$6.22 RON 29.44

82.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$31.58 RON 149

23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$6.19 RON 29.28

55.57%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.23 RON 10.55

55.16%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.56 RON 7.38

-30.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.37 RON 6.47

-54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.13 RON 10.06

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$3.19 RON 15.09

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.23 RON 5.82

82.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.05 RON 4.95

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.04 RON 4.90

69.23%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.67 RON 12.62

3.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$6.36 RON 30.08

47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$6.23 RON 29.47

6.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$11.19 RON 53.0

15.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$0.87 RON 4.12

91.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.45 RON 6.88

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.60 RON 7.57

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$2.07 RON 9.78

16.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$0.80 RON 3.80

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$0.65 RON 3.06

6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.06 RON 5.02

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.68 RON 3.20

4.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$5.48 RON 25.92

-35.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$5.15 RON 24.35

47.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$0.91 RON 4.30

79.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.08 RON 5.11

113.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.40 RON 1.90

-7.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$21.19 RON 100

-26.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.76 RON 3.58

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.75 RON 3.55

5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$7.37 RON 34.88

60.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.54 RON 7.29

-9.09%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$27.3K RON 129.0K

-9.11%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$24.1K RON 114.2K

-9.44%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$172 RON 812

-48.07%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$5.53 RON 26.16

138.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$5.82 RON 27.54

239.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$39.75 RON 188

63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$30.96 RON 146

-38.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$6.20 RON 29.33

5.97%

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

$377 ₾975

$314 RON 1,485

20.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$8,963 RON 42.4K

20.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$37.77 RON 179

170.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$26.48 RON 125

49.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$62.4 RON 295

88.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$72.6 RON 343

70.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$223 RON 1,055

198.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$185 RON 875

142.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$395 RON 1,868

225.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$315 RON 1,490

182.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$1,510 RON 7,146

60.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,175 RON 5,558

17.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$1,016 RON 4,805

-33.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.73

87.52%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Bistrita

$185 21.9% 58.8% $264

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Bistrita

$184 21.8% 21.2% $49

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Bistrita

$124 14.7% 34.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Bistrita

$90 10.6% 48% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Bistrita

$183 21.7% 49.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Bistrita

$52 6.2% 33.2% $26

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Bistrita

$27 3.2% 22.7% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $223 in Bistrita. 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 49% higher in Bistrita, 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $32.00 in Bistrita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $184 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

20:35 8:35 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

75,076

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Bistrita 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Bistrita

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 Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 50% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,268 in Bistrita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $32.00 in Bistrita. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bistrita, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Bistrita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bistrita costs $845 versus $1,266 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bistrita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.