Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Cotonou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $897 in Cotonou.

Tbilisi $1,269
Cotonou $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,428 in Cotonou.

Tbilisi $2,016
Cotonou $1,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,958 in Cotonou.

Tbilisi $2,763
Cotonou $1,958

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 42% more expensive than in Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Cotonou 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$5.18 F CFA 3,042

124.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$9.39 F CFA 5,514

2.88%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.25 F CFA 3,085

-32.00%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.00 F CFA 589

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.89 F CFA 521

-37.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$0.87 F CFA 510

201.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.59 F CFA 1,522

17.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$3.10 F CFA 1,820

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.23 F CFA 724

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.88 F CFA 1,105

-7.45%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.74 F CFA 1,610

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.25 F CFA 5,436

0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.43 F CFA 3,189

20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$5.04 F CFA 2,959

156.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$3.99 F CFA 2,345

-57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.78 F CFA 1,043

3.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.33 F CFA 779

48.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.71 F CFA 1,591

-10.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.27 F CFA 745

-35.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.68 F CFA 987

-55.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.43 F CFA 253

211.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.14 F CFA 670

-32.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.37 F CFA 1,977

5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.30 F CFA 2,524

78.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.17 F CFA 688

45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.86 F CFA 1,092

29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.30 F CFA 764

-69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.38 F CFA 808

-17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.32 F CFA 776

-40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.18 F CFA 695

22.88%

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

-4.99%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$145 F CFA 85.1K

-38.70%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

-60.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$49.06 F CFA 28.8K

-59.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$3.36 F CFA 1,973

466.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$8.58 F CFA 5,043

-17.02%

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

$375 ₾971

$131 F CFA 76.9K

186.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

88.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$25.39 F CFA 14.9K

308.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$33.44 F CFA 19.6K

250.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$67.9 F CFA 39.9K

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$176 F CFA 103.4K

295.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$163 F CFA 95.7K

177.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$600 F CFA 352.5K

125.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$412 F CFA 242.3K

119.67%

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

$251 F CFA 147.2K

165.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

215.50%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Cotonou

$163 18.2% 63.9% $288

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Cotonou

$222 24.8% 5.1% $12

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Cotonou

$150 16.7% 21.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4% 66.8% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Cotonou

$227 25.4% 87% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Cotonou

$65 7.2% 17.3% $14

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5% 39.8% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $176 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $36 in Cotonou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $222 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

780,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Cotonou 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Cotonou

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 Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 2.7 times higher, 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 $176 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $897 in Cotonou – Cotonou is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $897 in Cotonou versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou 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.

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