Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cheongju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Tbilisi versus $1,218 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,025 in Tbilisi versus $2,083 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Tbilisi versus $2,948 in Cheongju.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Cheongju 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 ₾29.44

$7.52 ₩10.4K

50.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.71 ₾101

$49.15 ₩67.8K

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 ₾24.72

$6.08 ₩8,397

56.58%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₾8.85

$3.72 ₩5,129

-8.33%

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

$1.04 ₾2.71

$1.79 ₩2,474

-41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₾1.66

$1.43 ₩1,972

-55.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ₾6.79

$3.76 ₩5,192

-30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₾8.43

$4.21 ₩5,808

-23.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.65

$2.06 ₩2,846

5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.92

$3.14 ₩4,340

-76.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₾4.45

$1.89 ₩2,612

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.36

$2.20 ₩3,036

28.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 ₾23.95

$10.79 ₩14.9K

-14.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ₾17.55

$10.61 ₩14.6K

-36.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 ₾33.17

$15.05 ₩20.8K

-15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.26

$3.02 ₩4,172

-45.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₾4.60

$3.00 ₩4,134

-41.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₾4.85

$7.32 ₩10.1K

-74.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ₾6.34

$5.95 ₩8,208

-58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.25

$5.78 ₩7,978

-84.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$3.33 ₩4,598

-80.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.64

$2.77 ₩3,822

-49.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.47 ₩650

57.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₾8.86

$3.44 ₩4,742

-0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ₾19.75

$15.09 ₩20.8K

-49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.82 ₩2,514

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.20

$2.28 ₩3,147

4.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.94

$1.12 ₩1,548

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.24 ₾39.60

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₾3.07

$2.60 ₩3,589

-54.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₾1.97

$0.71 ₩975

7.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.34 ₾29.46

$16.54 ₩22.8K

-31.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₾3.46

$1.32 ₩1,815

0.76%

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

$24.7K ₾64.2K

$29.1K ₩40.1M

-14.95%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$33.1K ₩45.7M

-33.43%

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

$88.9 ₾231

$198 ₩272.9K

-55.06%

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

$13.33 ₾34.63

$24.07 ₩33.2K

-44.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ₾52.3

$14.80 ₩20.4K

35.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₾178

$54.7 ₩75.5K

25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₾47.00

$11.74 ₩16.2K

54.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ₾17.45

$7.56 ₩10.4K

-11.11%

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

$374 ₾971

$631 ₩871.2K

-40.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.8K

$21.8K ₩30.1M

-50.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₾263

$36.94 ₩51.0K

173.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 ₾102

$65.6 ₩90.5K

-40.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$92.6 ₩127.8K

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$113 ₩155.8K

8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ₾1,773

$281 ₩387.7K

142.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,186

$214 ₩295.2K

113.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 ₾3,384

$1,137 ₩1.6M

14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 ₾2,337

$734 ₩1.0M

22.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 ₾6,364

$7,177 ₩9.9M

-65.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,452 ₾3,773

$5,449 ₩7.5M

-73.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 ₾1,695

$2,579 ₩3.6M

-74.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.22

199.05%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $682 in Tbilisi and $281 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 295% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $49.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $376 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 295% lower in Cheongju. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $682 in Tbilisi versus $281 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Tbilisi versus $631 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,247 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Cheongju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.