Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elbasan Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elbasan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,191 per month in Tbilisi vs $917 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,856 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,433 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,522 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,949 in Elbasan, rent included.

Tbilisi costs about 30% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tbilisi and Elbasan are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 11% lower, Elbasan 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 ₾28.56

$9.47 ALL 770

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.19 ₾113

$32.67 ALL 2,655

32.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 ₾22.31

$7.12 ALL 579

19.80%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ₾7.81

$1.80 ALL 147

66.11%

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

$0.81 ₾2.12

$1.29 ALL 105

-37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.09

$0.75 ALL 60.5

-44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ₾5.65

$1.81 ALL 147

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₾7.52

$2.30 ALL 187

25.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₾5.08

$1.80 ALL 146

7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.92 ALL 75.0

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.83

$1.49 ALL 121

24.16%

Eggs

$2.53 ₾6.62

$3.00 ALL 244

-15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₾19.69

$9.69 ALL 787

-22.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 ₾16.39

$5.44 ALL 442

15.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ₾25.09

$12.45 ALL 1,012

-22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ₾3.04

$0.87 ALL 70.5

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.29

$2.37 ALL 193

-30.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.93

$1.25 ALL 102

50.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.84

$0.93 ALL 75.5

139.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$1.01 ALL 81.7

-30.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₾1.68

$1.03 ALL 83.8

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.09

$0.90 ALL 73.0

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$0.57 ALL 46.05

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₾7.78

$3.96 ALL 321

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 ₾19.45

$8.13 ALL 661

-8.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.03

$0.90 ALL 73.0

71.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₾5.98

$1.43 ALL 116

59.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.93

$0.48 ALL 39.02

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ₾38.54

$18.61 ALL 1,512

-20.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₾3.71

$3.43 ALL 279

-58.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.81

$1.28 ALL 104

-46.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ₾19.02

$14.32 ALL 1,163

-49.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.86

$2.18 ALL 177

-50.00%

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

$18.3K ₾47.9K

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

-15.13%

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

$20.5K ₾53.6K

$27.7K ALL 2.2M

-25.96%

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

$74.4 ₾195

$66.8 ALL 5,425

11.37%

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

$11.71 ₾30.63

$17.59 ALL 1,429

-33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ₾46.06

$15.21 ALL 1,235

15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 ₾158

$66.0 ALL 5,364

-8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 ₾42.63

$16.18 ALL 1,314

0.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.03

$5.67 ALL 461

14.81%

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

$269 ₾704

$139 ALL 11.3K

93.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,154 ₾13.5K

$1,791 ALL 145.5K

187.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 ₾202

$47.58 ALL 3,866

62.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 ₾114

$34.42 ALL 2,797

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾310

$95.5 ALL 7,760

23.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾295

$179 ALL 14.5K

-36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 ₾1,856

$286 ALL 23.2K

148.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₾1,215

$194 ALL 15.7K

139.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₾3,442

$415 ALL 33.8K

216.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₾2,007

$296 ALL 24.0K

159.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,492 ₾6,522

$1,310 ALL 106.5K

90.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,442 ₾3,773

$866 ALL 70.3K

66.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 ₾1,735

$550 ALL 44.7K

20.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

6.1

94.92%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $709 in Tbilisi versus $286 in Elbasan. 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 20% higher in Tbilisi, 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 $43.00 in Tbilisi versus $33.00 in Elbasan. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Tbilisi vs $206 in Elbasan – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,787 per month in Tbilisi and $1,375 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Tbilisi and $33.00 in Elbasan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Tbilisi at $1,191. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Elbasan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.