Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elgin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elgin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,734 in Elgin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $2,780 in Elgin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $3,826 in Elgin.

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 31% less than in Elgin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 10% below, Elgin is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$18.51 £13.78

-41.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$82.1 £61.1

-46.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$6.82 £5.08

21.85%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$4.01 £2.99

-25.94%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.40 £1.04

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$1.39 £1.03

-66.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$4.69 £3.49

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$5.50 £4.09

-47.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.77 £1.31

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$1.71 £1.27

-58.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$2.68 £2.00

-28.73%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$3.86 £2.88

-35.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$10.05 £7.48

-22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$9.53 £7.10

-35.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$13.67 £10.18

-29.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$3.33 £2.48

-64.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.06 £0.79

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$2.06 £1.53

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$3.71 £2.76

-37.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.70 £0.52

1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$1.16 £0.87

-42.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.66 £0.49

80.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$1.04 £0.77

-36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$21.31 £15.86

-86.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$10.92 £8.13

-29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$3.03 £2.25

-47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$3.33 £2.48

-30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$4.49 £3.34

-91.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$124 £92.5

-88.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$5.33 £3.97

-71.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$2.35 £1.75

-71.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$27.51 £20.48

-73.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$1.96 £1.46

-44.39%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$39.1K £29.1K

-52.47%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$38.0K £28.3K

-46.10%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$209 £155

-65.03%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$17.84 £13.28

-32.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$40.91 £30.46

-56.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$30.76 £22.90

98.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$12.25 £9.12

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$10.73 £7.99

-37.56%

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

$269 ₾705

$1,139 £848

-76.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$18.2K £13.6K

-71.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$36.72 £27.34

108.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$26.90 £20.03

61.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$96.7 £72.0

24.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$106 £78.6

4.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$945 £704

-27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$612 £455

-23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$1,803 £1,342

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$1,243 £926

-36.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$5,262 £3,918

-53.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$2,238 £1,666

-34.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$2,030 £1,511

-67.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

5.32

123.50%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Elgin: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $945 in Elgin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 208% 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: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $82.0 in Elgin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $293 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 Elgin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Elgin differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $1,734 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 208% lower in Elgin. 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: $687 in Tbilisi versus $945 in Elgin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 742% less than in Elgin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $1,139 in Elgin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,734 in Elgin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Elgin. 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 Elgin 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 45% less than in Elgin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.