Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,218 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,280 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,854 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,017 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,755 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Tbilisi and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 10% lower, Cape Town 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₾29.00

$11.06 R 181

-2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 ₾116

$45.39 R 743

-5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 ₾22.24

$5.09 R 83.2

62.48%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ₾7.94

$2.08 R 34.00

41.83%

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

$0.76 ₾2.05

$1.16 R 19.04

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.13

$0.89 R 14.60

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$2.84 R 46.44

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.71

$2.45 R 40.05

17.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.19

$1.10 R 17.94

75.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.84

$1.10 R 17.92

-38.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.97

$1.83 R 29.96

1.09%

Eggs

$2.49 ₾6.69

$2.50 R 40.92

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 ₾20.27

$8.65 R 141

-12.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ₾17.09

$5.06 R 82.8

25.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 ₾25.38

$7.58 R 124

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$1.57 R 25.70

-24.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₾4.26

$1.41 R 23.13

12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ₾5.00

$1.50 R 24.60

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$1.53 R 25.04

46.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.79

$1.09 R 17.75

-39.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.83

$1.18 R 19.34

-42.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.17

$1.06 R 17.34

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.77

$0.99 R 16.15

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₾8.25

$3.11 R 50.8

-1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₾20.34

$6.36 R 104

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.08

$1.37 R 22.39

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾6.15

$1.75 R 28.70

30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₾0.95

$0.92 R 14.99

-61.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.79 ₾39.78

$48.28 R 790

-69.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₾3.90

$1.38 R 22.53

5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.93 R 15.22

-21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 ₾19.78

$4.37 R 71.4

68.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.93

$1.20 R 19.64

-9.17%

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

$18.4K ₾49.5K

$21.6K R 353.2K

-14.73%

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

$20.3K ₾54.5K

$24.0K R 392.7K

-15.55%

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

$73.3 ₾197

$101 R 1,660

-27.74%

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

$11.72 ₾31.53

$32.97 R 539

-64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₾48.08

$40.85 R 668

-56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ₾165

$42.59 R 697

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ₾43.94

$7.89 R 129

107.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₾17.73

$6.62 R 108

-0.45%

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

$261 ₾702

$213 R 3,482

22.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,156 ₾13.9K

$5,331 R 87.2K

-3.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 ₾205

$54.6 R 894

39.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.83 ₾118

$33.27 R 544

31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₾325

$114 R 1,873

5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾304

$84.0 R 1,374

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 ₾1,873

$767 R 12.5K

-9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,226

$525 R 8,583

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 ₾3,500

$1,440 R 23.6K

-9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 ₾2,067

$1,008 R 16.5K

-23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 ₾6,725

$2,240 R 36.7K

11.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 ₾3,853

$1,451 R 23.7K

-1.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 ₾1,756

$1,707 R 27.9K

-61.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

11.77

1.02%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $696 in Tbilisi versus $767 in Cape Town. 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 161% higher in Cape Town, 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 $43 in Tbilisi versus $45 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Tbilisi vs $188 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 5% more than Tbilisi, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,827 per month in Tbilisi and $1,919 in Cape Town. 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 $1,218 in Tbilisi and $1,280 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 226% 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 $1,218, than in Cape Town at $1,280. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,218 versus $1,280 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.