Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elin Pelin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elin Pelin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $928 in Elin Pelin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $1,421 in Elin Pelin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,914 in Elin Pelin.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 28% more expensive than Elin Pelin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Elin Pelin 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$8.64 BGN 14.42

29.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$34.94 BGN 58.4

23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$9.11 BGN 15.22

-9.77%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$1.88 BGN 3.14

66.49%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$1.33 BGN 2.22

-44.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.87 BGN 1.45

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$1.74 BGN 2.91

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$2.41 BGN 4.02

24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.72 BGN 2.88

9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.94 BGN 1.57

-22.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.85 BGN 3.08

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$3.18 BGN 5.30

-22.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$9.70 BGN 16.19

-19.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$7.65 BGN 12.77

-18.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$11.56 BGN 19.31

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$1.58 BGN 2.65

-23.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.86 BGN 3.10

-14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$1.85 BGN 3.08

-3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$2.32 BGN 3.88

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$1.05 BGN 1.75

-32.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$1.05 BGN 1.76

-36.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$1.02 BGN 1.70

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.74 BGN 1.24

-4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$3.45 BGN 5.76

-15.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$6.37 BGN 10.65

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$1.04 BGN 1.74

49.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$1.66 BGN 2.78

39.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$0.89 BGN 1.49

-57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

$26.06 BGN 43.52

-43.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$1.15 BGN 1.92

28.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.66 BGN 1.11

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$10.49 BGN 17.52

-28.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$1.54 BGN 2.58

-25.32%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$32.0K BGN 53.4K

-43.67%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$26.1K BGN 43.6K

-24.05%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$98.8 BGN 165

-25.67%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$16.87 BGN 28.18

-31.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$13.03 BGN 21.77

36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$29.81 BGN 49.78

103.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

$14.96 BGN 24.98

9.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$7.28 BGN 12.16

-10.58%

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

$263 ₾707

$327 BGN 546

-19.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$5,473 BGN 9,140

-6.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$53.4 BGN 89.2

45.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$29.65 BGN 49.52

49.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$78.7 BGN 131

49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$74.2 BGN 124

53.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$292 BGN 488

137.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$231 BGN 386

99.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$473 BGN 790

182.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$357 BGN 596

118.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$1,352 BGN 2,259

87.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$1,125 BGN 1,879

27.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$2,373 BGN 3,962

-73.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

4.49

164.81%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Elin Pelin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $292 in Elin Pelin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elin Pelin pays 275% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $35.00 in Elin Pelin. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $226, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Elin Pelin earns 275% less. 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $292 in Elin Pelin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Tbilisi versus $327 in Elin Pelin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $928 in Elin Pelin versus $1,185 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elin Pelin but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Elin Pelin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elin Pelin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Elin Pelin 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 Elin Pelin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.