Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Bucha

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucha: $746 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Bucha
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$746
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Bucha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $746 in Bucha.

  • Tbilisi $1,270
  • Bucha $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,142 in Bucha.

  • Tbilisi $2,008
  • Bucha $1,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $1,538 in Bucha.

  • Tbilisi $2,745
  • Bucha $1,538

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 70% more expensive than in Bucha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Bucha 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.51 ₾29.79
$9.86 ₴443
16.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.27 ₾99.1
$22.50 ₴1,010
70.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.80 ₾25.36
$6.60 ₴296
48.48%
Cappuccino
$3.55 ₾9.19
$1.00 ₴45.09
255.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₾2.74
$0.62 ₴27.81
70.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₾1.60
$0.37 ₴16.60
67.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.76 ₾7.16
$0.87 ₴39.16
217.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ₾7.77
$1.93 ₴86.5
55.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 ₾5.59
$1.12 ₴50.1
92.86%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 ₾1.96
$0.89 ₴40.04
-14.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.50 ₴67.5
16.00%
Eggs
$2.79 ₾7.21
$1.97 ₴88.5
41.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 ₾23.83
$8.09 ₴363
13.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.53 ₾16.89
$5.20 ₴233
25.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 ₾33.17
$6.83 ₴306
87.55%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$0.99 ₴44.59
68.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.52 ₴68.1
21.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ₾5.13
$1.87 ₴84.1
5.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 ₾6.49
$2.76 ₴124
-9.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 ₾2.26
$0.69 ₴31.10
26.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 ₾1.89
$0.45 ₴20.42
62.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.67
$1.41 ₴63.2
0.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.88
$0.51 ₴23.07
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 ₾8.74
$3.39 ₴152
-0.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.84 ₾20.31
$4.73 ₴212
65.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₾4.19
$0.95 ₴42.66
70.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₾6.15
$1.37 ₴61.4
73.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.46 ₴20.45
-19.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.52 ₾40.16
$13.82 ₴620
12.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.94
$2.07 ₴93.1
-44.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.48 ₴21.61
64.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.57 ₾29.96
$3.98 ₴179
190.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₾3.87
$1.69 ₴76.0
-11.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.7K
$31.4K ₴1.4M
-21.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K ₾57.9K
$24.6K ₴1.1M
-9.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 ₾228
$98.5 ₴4,419
-10.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.08 ₾33.86
$6.39 ₴287
104.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.53 ₾50.6
$6.35 ₴285
207.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.2 ₾166
$26.50 ₴1,189
142.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 ₾49.66
$15.20 ₴682
26.18%
Cinema Ticket
$6.99 ₾18.10
$4.60 ₴206
51.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ₾966
$402 ₴18.0K
-7.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ₾27.7K
$4,197 ₴188.4K
154.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 ₾266
$67.3 ₴3,023
52.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 ₾105
$17.42 ₴782
132.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ₾301
$54.5 ₴2,447
113.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾316
$56.4 ₴2,531
116.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$677 ₾1,753
$200 ₴8,961
239.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 ₾1,176
$197 ₴8,821
131.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 ₾3,305
$465 ₴20.9K
174.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,304
$331 ₴14.8K
169.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 ₾6,238
$1,038 ₴46.6K
132.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,418 ₾3,670
$769 ₴34.5K
84.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Bucha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$703 ₾1,819
$548 ₴24.6K
28.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
17.88
-29.42%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bucha: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$454
Bucha
$197 56.7% $258
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$233
Bucha
$172 26.2% $61
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Bucha
$123 35.5% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Bucha
$88 48.7% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Bucha
$111 8% $9.7
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Bucha
$36 54.3% $42
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Bucha
$20 9% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $200 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 28% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $23.00 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $172 per month, with Bucha cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇺🇦 Bucha
🕒 Local time
23:31 11:31 PM
22:31 10:31 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
27,460
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Bucha 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Bucha

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 Bucha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tbilisi and in Bucha?
Tbilisi and Bucha differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $746 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tbilisi or Bucha?
Average pay runs 28% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tbilisi and in Bucha?
Rent for a central apartment: $677 in Tbilisi versus $200 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Bucha?
All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Tbilisi versus $746 in Bucha – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Tbilisi and in Bucha?
A monthly transit pass in Bucha runs roughly 12% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $746 in Bucha versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Bucha?
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 Bucha safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Bucha are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Tbilisi or Bucha?
Expats usually find Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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