Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Budapest $3,467

Tbilisi is about 23% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$13.81 Ft 4,552

-15.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

-38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$10.16 Ft 3,349

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.22 Ft 1,062

10.87%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.06 Ft 680

-47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.83 Ft 605

-69.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.60 Ft 1,188

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$3.66 Ft 1,208

-16.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.19 Ft 392

82.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.87 Ft 617

-57.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.37 Ft 780

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.96 Ft 1,305

-28.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$11.16 Ft 3,680

-16.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$6.76 Ft 2,228

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$14.35 Ft 4,731

-9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$1.81 Ft 596

-7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.11 Ft 695

-12.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.33 Ft 770

-15.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$3.80 Ft 1,254

-36.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.99 Ft 327

-17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.98 Ft 324

-24.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.55 Ft 512

-13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.70 Ft 230

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$7.79 Ft 2,569

-54.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$6.05 Ft 1,995

26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.28 Ft 421

32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.04 Ft 672

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.55 Ft 511

-74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$27.28 Ft 8,995

-44.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-65.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.31 Ft 433

-40.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$20.26 Ft 6,679

-41.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.82 Ft 600

-20.33%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-14.43%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

-32.48%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$172 Ft 56.8K

-48.43%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$23.95 Ft 7,897

-45.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$23.31 Ft 7,685

-15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-6.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$18.91 Ft 6,235

0.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$10.18 Ft 3,356

-30.06%

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

$375 ₾971

$600 Ft 197.9K

-37.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-37.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

4.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

-9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$113 Ft 37.2K

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$117 Ft 38.6K

3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$836 Ft 275.6K

-16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$640 Ft 210.9K

-29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

-15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

-24.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-64.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

-60.26%

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 Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 41.8% $189

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 10.4% $24

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 15.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 2.5% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 80.5% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 13.6% $11

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 97.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $836 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $258 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

21:22 9:22 PM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Budapest 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,638 in Budapest, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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