Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Durham

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,073 in Durham, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Durham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,073 in Durham.

Tbilisi $1,242
Durham $2,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $3,286 in Durham.

Tbilisi $1,962
Durham $3,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $4,498 in Durham.

Tbilisi $2,682
Durham $4,498

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 40% less than in Durham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Durham is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.47

$19.57 £14.79

-43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$93.4 £70.6

-59.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$11.40 £8.62

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$4.56 £3.45

-21.27%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$2.54 £1.92

-59.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$2.04 £1.54

-69.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$6.08 £4.59

-54.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$5.33 £4.03

-40.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.95 £1.47

9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.54 £1.17

-51.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$3.03 £2.29

-43.23%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$4.37 £3.30

-36.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$10.02 £7.57

-5.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$8.86 £6.69

-27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$21.35 £16.14

-39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$2.93 £2.21

-42.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$2.53 £1.91

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$2.75 £2.08

-31.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$5.08 £3.84

-52.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$1.56 £1.18

-46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$1.70 £1.29

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$1.06 £0.80

33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.88 £1.42

-59.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$23.61 £17.85

-84.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$10.64 £8.04

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.44

$3.31 £2.50

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$3.15 £2.38

-27.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$3.23 £2.44

-87.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$86.9 £65.7

-82.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$6.39 £4.83

-81.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$1.93 £1.46

-59.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.51

$23.68 £17.90

-50.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.88 £1.42

-25.00%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$37.8K £28.6K

-35.91%

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

$21.7K ₾56.4K

$41.1K £31.1K

-47.11%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$265 £200

-66.88%

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

$13.33 ₾34.56

$15.21 £11.50

-12.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$42.95 £32.46

-54.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$46.78 £35.36

38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.87

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$12.51 £9.45

-47.64%

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

$377 ₾978

$1,300 £982

-70.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$25.2K £19.1K

-57.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$106 £80.4

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$71.4 £54.0

-43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$114 £86.1

2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$97.2 £73.5

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$1,539 £1,164

-56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$743 £562

-39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$2,661 £2,012

-52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$1,565 £1,183

-43.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$5,034 £3,805

-52.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$3,862 £2,920

-63.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$2,064 £1,560

-65.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.18

143.63%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Durham: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Durham

$743 35.7% 64.7% $292

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Durham

$348 16.7% 49.8% $116

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Durham

$305 14.6% 63.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Durham

$175 8.4% 2.2% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Durham

$323 15.5% 168% $202

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Durham

$72 3.5% 7.7% $6

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Durham

$116 5.6% 430% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $1,539 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 192% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $93.0 in Durham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $348 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇬🇧 Durham

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

42,100

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Durham 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Durham

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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Durham differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,242 vs $2,073 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 192% lower in Durham. 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: $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,539 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,242 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,073 in Durham – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 474% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,073 in Durham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Durham. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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 Durham 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.