Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in George
Learn more

George Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,105 in George.

Tbilisi $1,266
George $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $1,834 in George.

Tbilisi $2,007
George $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $2,563 in George.

Tbilisi $2,749
George $2,563

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 15% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, George 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$10.87 R 179

4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$41.26 R 680

-5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$4.81 R 79.3

100.21%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.10 R 34.66

64.76%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.06 R 17.47

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.77 R 12.63

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.72 R 44.76

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$3.20 R 52.8

-3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.13 R 18.55

99.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.04 R 17.20

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.43 R 23.63

23.08%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.80 R 46.05

-1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$8.36 R 138

12.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$5.45 R 89.8

22.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$6.66 R 110

93.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.61 R 26.49

3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.47 R 24.19

22.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.54 R 25.33

24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$1.73 R 28.44

39.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.63 R 26.89

-47.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.42 R 23.41

-51.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.25 R 20.53

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.97 R 15.99

-26.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$3.18 R 52.4

10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$4.72 R 77.8

61.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.22 R 20.09

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.73 R 28.48

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.54 R 25.37

-75.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$27.77 R 457

-43.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.58 R 9.50

96.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.47 R 7.67

68.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$8.38 R 138

41.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.22 R 20.03

14.75%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$29.7K R 488.9K

-16.46%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$29.4K R 483.7K

-25.56%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$121 R 1,995

-26.38%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$17.44 R 287

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$45.19 R 745

-56.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$29.75 R 490

118.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$10.64 R 175

78.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$6.08 R 100

8.06%

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

$377 ₾975

$137 R 2,263

174.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$5,187 R 85.5K

108.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$71.5 R 1,177

43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$37.94 R 625

4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$112 R 1,845

5.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$85.8 R 1,413

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$422 R 6,956

57.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$365 R 6,010

23.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$773 R 12.7K

66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$929 R 15.3K

-4.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$871 R 14.4K

178.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$652 R 10.7K

111.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$1,364 R 22.5K

-50.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.92

15.57%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

George

$365 33% 18.8% $84

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

George

$186 16.8% 20.4% $48

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

George

$154 13.9% 18.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

George

$138 12.5% 19.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

George

$184 16.6% 50.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

George

$42 3.8% 46.3% $36

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

George

$37 3.3% 65.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $422 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $41.00 in George. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $186, with George cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

188,580

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi George 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in George. 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: $666 in Tbilisi versus $422 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,105 in George – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,266 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George 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 George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.