Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
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Cotacachi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Cotacachi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $717 in Cotacachi.

Tbilisi $1,269
Cotacachi $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,170 in Cotacachi.

Tbilisi $2,016
Cotacachi $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,623 in Cotacachi.

Tbilisi $2,763
Cotacachi $1,623

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 77% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.88 $3.88

199.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$25.87 $25.87

46.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.58 $4.58

110.92%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.21 $2.21

61.54%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.36 $1.36

-20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.80 $0.80

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.97 $1.97

32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.01 $4.01

-24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.10 $1.10

97.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.53 $1.53

-47.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.52 $1.52

14.47%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.11 $2.11

34.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$6.40 $6.40

45.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.27 $5.27

23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$7.46 $7.46

73.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$2.21 $2.21

-23.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.14 $1.14

62.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.32 $1.32

49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.10 $1.10

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.24 $1.24

-33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.06 $1.06

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.83 $0.83

61.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.03 $1.03

-25.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.46 $4.46

-19.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$7.35 $7.35

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.51 $1.51

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.05 $3.05

-21.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.45 $0.45

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$15.03 $15.03

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.24 $1.24

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.97 $0.97

-19.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$9.89 $9.89

19.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.77 $0.77

88.31%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$22.7K $22.7K

8.36%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

-25.26%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$29.09 $29.09

205.26%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$12.57 $12.57

4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$26.27 $26.27

-25.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$30.56 $30.56

109.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$10.16 $10.16

87.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$6.52 $6.52

9.20%

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

$375 ₾971

$76.0 $76.0

394.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$2,952 $2,952

254.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$41.41 $41.41

150.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$42.47 $42.47

-7.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$95.1 $95.1

23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$59.2 $59.2

105.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$264 $264

163.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$190 $190

137.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$473 $473

186.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$414 $414

118.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$598 $598

284.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$517 $517

160.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$433 $433

53.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.12

24.70%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Cotacachi

$190 26.5% 57.9% $261

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Cotacachi

$187 26.1% 19.9% $47

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 48.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Cotacachi

$107 15% 37.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 44.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Cotacachi

$44 6.1% 44.3% $35

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 4.5% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $264 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $26 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $187 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

8,238

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Cotacachi 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $717 in Cotacachi, so Cotacachi is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $264 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $717 in Cotacachi – Cotacachi is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $717 in Cotacachi versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi 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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Cotacachi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cotacachi wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.