Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,611 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Budva

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,611 in Budva, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Budva $1,611

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,529 in Budva, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Budva $2,529

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,447 in Budva, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Budva $3,447

Tbilisi is about 21% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tbilisi sits 6% below the global median, while Budva is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$14.76 €13.13

-23.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$66.5 €59.1

-41.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$13.27 €11.80

-27.43%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$3.39 €3.02

2.06%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.21 €1.96

-50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.52 €1.35

-58.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$4.69 €4.17

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$4.27 €3.80

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.25 €1.11

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.06 €0.95

-24.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.21 €1.97

-20.36%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.07 €2.73

-10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$8.50 €7.56

10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$9.08 €8.08

-26.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$12.17 €10.83

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.28 €1.14

30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.75 €1.56

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.52 €1.35

26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$2.78 €2.47

-13.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$0.85 €0.76

1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.07 €0.95

-35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.67 €1.48

-16.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.94 €0.84

-24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$4.42 €3.93

-20.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$7.67 €6.82

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.06 €0.94

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.74 €1.55

32.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$2.84 €2.53

-86.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$39.74 €35.34

-60.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.11 €0.98

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.09 €0.97

-27.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$16.85 €14.99

-29.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.70 €1.51

-17.65%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$28.5K €25.4K

-13.07%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$25.8K €22.9K

-15.23%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$158 €140

-43.50%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$14.92 €13.27

-11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$33.61 €29.90

-41.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$57.1 €50.8

13.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$21.24 €18.89

-10.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$6.19 €5.50

6.14%

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

$377 ₾975

$407 €362

-7.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$9,855 €8,766

9.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$105 €93.3

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$44.04 €39.17

-9.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$96.8 €86.1

21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$178 €159

-30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$846 €752

-21.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$606 €539

-25.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$1,499 €1,333

-14.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,149 €1,022

-22.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$4,046 €3,599

-40.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$2,920 €2,597

-52.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$1,028 €915

-33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.95

112.10%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Budva

$606 37.6% 34.9% $157

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Budva

$235 14.6% 0.7% $1.7

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Budva

$246 15.2% 30.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Budva

$191 11.9% 10.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Budva

$206 12.8% 69% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Budva

$69 4.3% 11% $8.6

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Budva

$58 3.6% 159% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $846 in Budva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Budva, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $66.0 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

13,338

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Budva 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Budva

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 Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $1,611 in Budva – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $2,417 in Budva. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Tbilisi and $1,611 in Budva. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 154% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Budva at $1,611. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Tbilisi to $1,611 in Budva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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