Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Bitola

For one person, living is cheaper in Bitola: $859 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bitola
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Bitola Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Bitola

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Bitola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $859 in Bitola.

Tbilisi $1,269
Bitola $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,289 in Bitola.

Tbilisi $2,016
Bitola $1,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,718 in Bitola.

Tbilisi $2,763
Bitola $1,718

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 48% more expensive than in Bitola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Bitola 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$5.23 MKD 287

122.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$26.77 MKD 1,472

41.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.04 MKD 277

91.67%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.96 MKD 108

82.14%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.71 MKD 93.9

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.46 MKD 80.3

-61.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.16 MKD 119

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.62 MKD 144

16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.38 MKD 75.7

57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.66 MKD 36.57

21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.72 MKD 94.7

1.16%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.98 MKD 109

42.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.93 MKD 546

-6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$6.81 MKD 375

-4.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$13.08 MKD 719

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.01 MKD 55.4

66.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.39 MKD 76.6

33.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.24 MKD 68.1

58.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.59 MKD 87.4

52.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.91 MKD 49.82

-9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.34 MKD 73.6

-44.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.53 MKD 28.91

152.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.50 MKD 27.30

54.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.30 MKD 181

8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$6.06 MKD 333

26.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.91 MKD 49.92

86.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.83 MKD 101

31.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.54 MKD 29.49

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$16.24 MKD 893

-6.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.08 MKD 59.3

5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.57 MKD 31.35

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$6.32 MKD 348

87.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.50 MKD 82.4

-3.33%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$30.9K MKD 1.7M

-20.39%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

-30.98%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$148 MKD 8,113

-39.80%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$14.08 MKD 774

-6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$12.62 MKD 694

55.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$22.16 MKD 1,219

189.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$6.43 MKD 354

196.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$4.57 MKD 252

55.80%

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

$375 ₾971

$211 MKD 11.6K

77.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$1,167 MKD 64.2K

796.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$76.3 MKD 4,198

35.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$46.27 MKD 2,545

-15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$73.3 MKD 4,029

60.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$111 MKD 6,088

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$260 MKD 14.3K

167.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$185 MKD 10.2K

143.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$396 MKD 21.8K

242.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$293 MKD 16.1K

209.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,709 MKD 94.0K

34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,142 MKD 62.8K

17.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$750 MKD 41.3K

-11.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.45

95.66%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bitola: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Bitola

$185 21.6% 58.9% $266

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Bitola

$198 23.1% 15.2% $36

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Bitola

$109 12.7% 42.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Bitola

$138 16.1% 19.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Bitola

$174 20.3% 43.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Bitola

$31 3.7% 60% $47

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Bitola

$22 2.6% 1.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $260 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 13% 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 $27 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $198 per month, with Bitola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇰 Bitola

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

74,550

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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 = 0.346 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Bitola 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Bitola

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 Bitola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $859 in Bitola, so Bitola is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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 $260 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $27 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Bitola versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Bitola are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.