Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Bortala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bortala: $734 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bortala
Learn more

Bortala Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bortala

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Bortala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $734 in Bortala.

Tbilisi $1,278
Bortala $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $1,169 in Bortala.

Tbilisi $2,017
Bortala $1,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,605 in Bortala.

Tbilisi $2,755
Bortala $1,605

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 74% more expensive than in Bortala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Bortala 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$3.03 ¥20.19

283.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$22.36 ¥149

71.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$4.86 ¥32.37

100.41%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.71 ¥18.06

31.37%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.47 ¥3.11

129.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.31 ¥2.07

80.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.08 ¥7.18

152.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$2.06 ¥13.74

51.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.76 ¥11.76

21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.60 ¥10.67

-53.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.00 ¥6.64

80.00%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.66 ¥11.06

68.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$13.24 ¥88.2

-28.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$3.46 ¥23.03

102.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$11.17 ¥74.4

13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$1.87 ¥12.47

-12.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.28 ¥8.53

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.52 ¥10.15

29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.26 ¥8.42

96.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.75 ¥5.01

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.89 ¥5.96

-24.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.58 ¥3.86

143.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.56 ¥3.72

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$3.70 ¥24.64

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$11.19 ¥74.5

-29.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$0.88 ¥5.84

93.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.57 ¥10.44

50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.31 ¥2.07

22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$17.68 ¥118

-13.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.51 ¥10.08

-21.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.33 ¥2.19

124.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$7.28 ¥48.50

63.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.26 ¥8.42

15.87%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$19.5K ¥130.1K

27.93%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$17.5K ¥116.4K

30.60%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$56.1 ¥374

57.12%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$8.47 ¥56.4

50.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$11.17 ¥74.4

77.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$41.49 ¥276

54.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$15.19 ¥101

26.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$6.50 ¥43.29

2.31%

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

$371 ₾961

$439 ¥2,922

-15.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$17.6K ¥117.3K

-47.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$43.34 ¥289

135.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$32.70 ¥218

21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$73.7 ¥491

60.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$75.3 ¥502

58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$291 ¥1,939

136.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$189 ¥1,257

144.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$603 ¥4,013

126.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$372 ¥2,475

141.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$3,183 ¥21.2K

-28.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$1,960 ¥13.1K

-29.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$618 ¥4,116

14.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

3.36

272.92%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bortala: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Bortala

$189 25.7% 59.1% $272

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Bortala

$207 28.3% 11.9% $28

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Bortala

$84 11.5% 56.1% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Bortala

$101 13.8% 40.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Bortala

$76 10.3% 37.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Bortala

$54 7.4% 29.8% $23

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Bortala

$22 3% 1.8% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $291 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $22 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $207 per month, with Bortala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇳 Bortala

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

02:28 2:28 AM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

246,706

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Bortala 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Bortala

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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $291 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Tbilisi versus $734 in Bortala – Bortala is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 14% less than in Bortala. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bortala wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.