Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Busia, Uganda

Name: Busia
Address: Busia, UG

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $69.4 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$69.4

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $69 in Busia.

Tbilisi $1,269
Busia $69

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $114 in Busia.

Tbilisi $2,016
Busia $114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $159 in Busia.

Tbilisi $2,763
Busia $159

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 1730% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Busia 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.30 UGX 1,319

623.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.23 UGX 5,342

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.43 UGX 6,192

97.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$3.56 UGX 15.5K

263.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$2.34 UGX 10.2K

-28.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.69 UGX 2,978

250.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.41 UGX 6,120

-47.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.23 UGX 993

234.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.11 UGX 4,829

221.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.93 UGX 21.4K

55.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.95 UGX 4,115

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.18 UGX 5,107

103.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

23:13 11:13 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

64,900

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Busia 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $104 in Busia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 237% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $69 in Busia – Busia is about 95% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $69 in Busia versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Busia 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.