Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $990 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $1,554 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $2,118 in Grahamstown.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 20% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Grahamstown 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$8.75 R 147

27.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$34.13 R 572

26.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$5.00 R 83.8

64.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$2.03 R 34.02

54.19%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$1.03 R 17.33

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.81 R 13.65

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$2.21 R 37.12

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$2.48 R 41.52

20.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.11 R 18.61

70.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$1.06 R 17.76

-31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.57 R 26.37

17.83%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$2.42 R 40.56

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$7.93 R 133

-1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$4.53 R 76.0

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$6.62 R 111

47.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$1.61 R 26.96

-24.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.52 R 25.42

4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$1.49 R 24.99

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$1.59 R 26.67

45.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$1.38 R 23.12

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$1.18 R 19.86

-43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$1.08 R 18.17

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.97 R 16.24

-26.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$2.86 R 48.02

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$4.95 R 83.0

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$1.34 R 22.44

15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$1.71 R 28.75

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$1.60 R 26.88

-76.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$1.13 R 19.03

30.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.89 R 15.00

-22.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$3.92 R 65.7

90.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$1.25 R 20.90

-8.00%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$21.2K R 355.1K

-14.96%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$23.5K R 393.3K

-15.43%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$118 R 1,983

-37.89%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$35.40 R 594

-67.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$41.04 R 688

-56.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$30.78 R 516

96.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$6.61 R 111

-1.51%

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

$263 ₾707

$197 R 3,310

33.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$4,392 R 73.7K

16.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$51.4 R 862

51.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$32.50 R 545

36.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$89.9 R 1,507

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$79.8 R 1,338

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$366 R 6,130

89.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$328 R 5,506

40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$676 R 11.3K

97.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$677 R 11.4K

15.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$876 R 14.7K

188.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$598 R 10.0K

139.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$1,195 R 20.0K

-47.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

11.51

3.30%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $366 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 89% 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 $34.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $178 per month, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Grahamstown earns 89% 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 $366 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,185 per month in Tbilisi versus $990 in Grahamstown – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,185 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.