Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
Cape Town $3,307

Tbilisi is about 21% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.37

$12.14 R 201

-6.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$45.34 R 750

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.94

$5.88 R 97.3

63.78%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.96

$2.50 R 41.36

38.40%

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

$1.09 ₾2.83

$1.27 R 21.04

-14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.98 R 16.21

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.99 R 49.54

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$3.72 R 61.6

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.82

$1.30 R 21.49

73.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.08

$1.25 R 20.77

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.23 R 36.92

-21.08%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.12

$3.11 R 51.5

-11.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.34

$9.06 R 150

3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.24

$6.92 R 115

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.48

$9.30 R 154

38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.84 R 30.38

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.96 R 32.43

-8.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.98

$1.67 R 27.57

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.25

$2.17 R 35.86

11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.57 R 25.93

-45.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.48 R 24.56

-53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.63

$1.30 R 21.51

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.13 R 18.69

-37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$3.60 R 59.6

-2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.71

$6.15 R 102

23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.38 R 22.76

18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.99

$2.14 R 35.35

7.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.50 R 24.76

-75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.60

$60.8 R 1,005

-74.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.59 R 9.75

93.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.50 R 24.75

-47.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.73

$5.11 R 84.6

132.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.55 R 25.61

-9.68%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$36.2K R 599.1K

-31.54%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$31.2K R 517.1K

-30.05%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$114 R 1,892

-22.04%

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

$13.21 ₾34.21

$28.91 R 478

-54.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.2

$39.73 R 657

-50.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$49.01 R 811

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.28

$10.99 R 182

73.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.03

$9.15 R 151

-28.20%

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

$377 ₾976

$259 R 4,283

45.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.0K

$6,794 R 112.4K

58.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$56.2 R 930

81.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$32.41 R 536

22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$121 R 1,996

-2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$108 R 1,788

14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,725

$1,021 R 16.9K

-34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,164

$717 R 11.9K

-37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,327

$1,824 R 30.2K

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,305

$1,327 R 22.0K

-32.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,281

$2,391 R 39.6K

1.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,576

$1,542 R 25.5K

-10.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,761

$1,639 R 27.1K

-58.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.97

15.04%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 59.6% $268

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 3.8% $8.8

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 6.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Cape Town

$143 9% 17.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 49.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 13.8% $11

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 236% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,015 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 132% 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Tbilisi vs $222 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.04 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 16.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.04 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Cape Town 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 26% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $2,352 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 $1,242 in Tbilisi and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 26%.

Public transport costs about 302% 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 $1,242, than in Cape Town at $1,568. 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 $1,242 versus $1,568 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.