Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elin Pelin

For one person, living is cheaper in Elin Pelin: $951 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Elin Pelin
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Elin Pelin Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Elin Pelin

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Elin Pelin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $951 in Elin Pelin.

Tbilisi $1,278
Elin Pelin $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $1,468 in Elin Pelin.

Tbilisi $2,017
Elin Pelin $1,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,985 in Elin Pelin.

Tbilisi $2,755
Elin Pelin $1,985

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 34% more expensive than in Elin Pelin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Elin Pelin 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$9.78 BGN 17.12

18.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$40.26 BGN 70.5

-4.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$9.53 BGN 16.68

2.20%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.02 BGN 3.54

76.24%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$1.50 BGN 2.62

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.98 BGN 3.46

37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$2.92 BGN 5.11

7.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.75 BGN 3.06

22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$2.07 BGN 3.63

-13.04%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$3.23 BGN 5.66

-13.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$8.97 BGN 15.69

5.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$7.25 BGN 12.69

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$10.12 BGN 17.71

25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$1.60 BGN 2.79

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.81 BGN 3.17

1.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.87 BGN 3.27

5.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$2.22 BGN 3.89

11.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.04 BGN 1.83

-27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.08 BGN 1.89

-37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.92 BGN 1.61

53.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.66 BGN 1.15

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$3.47 BGN 6.07

1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$6.13 BGN 10.73

28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.05 BGN 1.84

61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.65 BGN 2.89

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.88 BGN 1.54

-56.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$25.44 BGN 44.51

-39.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-7.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.72 BGN 1.26

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$11.57 BGN 20.25

2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.63 BGN 2.85

-10.43%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

-15.91%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$23.6K BGN 41.3K

-3.17%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$104 BGN 182

-15.09%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$17.28 BGN 30.24

-26.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$12.35 BGN 21.61

60.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$32.10 BGN 56.2

100.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$17.02 BGN 29.78

12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$6.89 BGN 12.05

-3.48%

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

$371 ₾961

$510 BGN 892

-27.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$5,769 BGN 10.1K

58.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$48.32 BGN 84.6

111.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$28.58 BGN 50.0

38.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$78.5 BGN 137

50.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$79.3 BGN 139

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$329 BGN 575

109.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$259 BGN 453

78.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$541 BGN 948

151.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$396 BGN 693

126.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$1,343 BGN 2,351

69.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$1,108 BGN 1,940

24.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$2,197 BGN 3,845

-67.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

2.99

319.06%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Elin Pelin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Elin Pelin

$259 27.3% 43.8% $202

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Elin Pelin

$217 22.8% 7.9% $18

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Elin Pelin

$156 16.4% 18.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Elin Pelin

$106 11.1% 38.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Elin Pelin

$133 14% 10.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Elin Pelin

$46 4.8% 40.9% $32

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Elin Pelin

$34 3.6% 56.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $329 in Elin Pelin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elin Pelin pays about 3.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $40 in Elin Pelin. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $217, with Elin Pelin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇬 Elin Pelin

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

22:42 10:42 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

7,200

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Elin Pelin 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Elin Pelin

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 Elin Pelin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elin Pelin is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Tbilisi. 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: $690 in Tbilisi versus $329 in Elin Pelin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Tbilisi versus $510 in Elin Pelin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Elin Pelin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.