Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Buchs

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,270 a month against $3,009 in Buchs, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Buchs
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Buchs Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Buchs

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Buchs

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $3,009 in Buchs.

Tbilisi $1,270
Buchs $3,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $4,535 in Buchs.

Tbilisi $2,008
Buchs $4,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $6,062 in Buchs.

Tbilisi $2,745
Buchs $6,062

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 58% less than in Buchs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Buchs is 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$23.43 CHF 19.30

-50.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$84.3 CHF 69.4

-54.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$15.36 CHF 12.65

-36.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$4.71 CHF 3.88

-24.63%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$3.77 CHF 3.10

-71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$3.20 CHF 2.63

-80.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$6.13 CHF 5.04

-54.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-44.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$2.01 CHF 1.66

7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-80.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$4.64 CHF 3.82

-62.50%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$7.32 CHF 6.03

-61.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$32.21 CHF 26.53

-71.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$18.51 CHF 15.24

-64.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-60.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.53 CHF 2.91

-52.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-13.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$6.70 CHF 5.52

-62.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-51.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$2.54 CHF 2.10

-71.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-41.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$1.21 CHF 1.00

-40.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$10.84 CHF 8.92

-68.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$12.70 CHF 10.46

-38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$3.91 CHF 3.22

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$5.17 CHF 4.25

-92.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$5.36 CHF 4.42

-78.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$3.46 CHF 2.85

-77.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$61.2 CHF 50.4

-81.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-32.74%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-42.12%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-43.48%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$184 CHF 152

-52.14%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$31.24 CHF 25.73

-58.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$67.2 CHF 55.4

-70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$15.20 CHF 12.52

-54.01%

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

$373 ₾966

$611 CHF 503

-38.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

-48.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$107 CHF 88.0

-3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$23.70 CHF 19.52

70.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$95.2 CHF 78.4

22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$170 CHF 140

-28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$1,828 CHF 1,505

-62.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$1,561 CHF 1,285

-70.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$2,690 CHF 2,216

-52.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$2,746 CHF 2,261

-67.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$8,480 CHF 6,984

-91.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

1.93

553.89%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Buchs: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Buchs

$1.6K 51.9% 244% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Buchs

$555 18.4% 138% $322

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Buchs

$359 11.9% 88.5% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Buchs

$178 5.9% 3.7% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Buchs

$283 9.4% 134% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Buchs

$30 * 1% 61.1% $48

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Buchs

$43 * 1.4% 95.9% $21

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 $677 in Tbilisi and $1,828 in Buchs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 1107% 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 $84.0 in Buchs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $555 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇭 Buchs

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

12,187

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Buchs 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Buchs

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 Buchs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Buchs differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $3,009 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1107% lower in Buchs. 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $1,828 in Buchs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $373 in Tbilisi versus $611 in Buchs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $84.0 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $3,009 in Buchs, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Buchs. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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 Buchs are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.