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: $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $1,132 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Tbilisi versus $1,766 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Tbilisi versus $2,401 in Grahamstown.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 13% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Grahamstown 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 ₾30.42

$9.22 R 149

26.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.79 ₾98.4

$43.66 R 703

-13.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 ₾24.31

$5.88 R 94.7

58.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₾9.00

$2.14 R 34.54

61.21%

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

$1.09 ₾2.84

$1.04 R 16.70

4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₾1.55

$0.74 R 11.89

-20.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 ₾7.35

$2.83 R 45.55

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₾9.71

$3.15 R 50.7

18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ₾5.71

$1.21 R 19.42

80.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$1.08 R 17.39

-31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.29

$1.54 R 24.75

7.14%

Eggs

$2.76 ₾7.20

$2.78 R 44.71

-0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 ₾25.09

$8.94 R 144

7.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 ₾17.94

$5.47 R 88.0

25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 ₾34.23

$8.60 R 139

52.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ₾4.46

$2.25 R 36.28

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.49

$1.53 R 24.59

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₾4.87

$1.69 R 27.16

10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 ₾6.49

$1.76 R 28.29

41.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₾2.11

$1.69 R 27.24

-52.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$1.45 R 23.37

-54.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₾3.60

$1.27 R 20.53

8.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₾1.94

$1.06 R 17.06

-29.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₾8.75

$3.29 R 53.0

2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 ₾20.34

$4.85 R 78.1

61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₾4.34

$1.25 R 20.06

33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₾6.10

$1.87 R 30.12

25.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.51 R 24.39

-75.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.56 ₾40.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.97

$0.60 R 9.62

90.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$0.50 R 8.06

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 ₾29.97

$8.53 R 137

34.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₾3.47

$1.40 R 22.56

-5.00%

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

$24.8K ₾64.7K

$36.8K R 592.1K

-32.40%

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

$22.2K ₾57.8K

$34.4K R 554.7K

-35.54%

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

$90.3 ₾235

$125 R 2,017

-27.86%

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

$13.19 ₾34.35

$34.98 R 563

-62.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.73 ₾51.4

$46.38 R 747

-57.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ₾173

$32.24 R 519

105.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.64 ₾51.1

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ₾17.53

$11.01 R 177

-38.87%

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

$356 ₾928

$179 R 2,880

99.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.6K

$5,052 R 81.4K

109.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₾263

$73.4 R 1,182

37.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 ₾103

$41.63 R 671

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₾299

$114 R 1,839

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾314

$100 R 1,614

20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₾1,830

$396 R 6,375

77.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,173

$369 R 5,945

22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₾3,321

$752 R 12.1K

69.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₾2,320

$762 R 12.3K

16.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,587

$890 R 14.3K

184.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,466 ₾3,818

$650 R 10.5K

125.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ₾1,696

$1,195 R 19.3K

-45.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.73

11.94

6.62%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: August 16, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Tbilisi and $396 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $44.00 in Grahamstown. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $201, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 13% 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, salaries run 84% lower in Grahamstown. 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: $703 in Tbilisi versus $396 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,279 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,132 in Grahamstown – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,132 in Grahamstown versus $1,279 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 $1,132 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 13% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.