Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Gwangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,341 in Gwangju, rent and utilities included – about $860 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Gwangju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,341 in Gwangju.

Tbilisi $1,269
Gwangju $1,341

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $2,048 in Gwangju.

Tbilisi $2,016
Gwangju $2,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $2,756 in Gwangju.

Tbilisi $2,763
Gwangju $2,756

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 5% less than in Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Gwangju 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$6.02 ₩8,066

93.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$34.32 ₩46.0K

10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.82 ₩7,803

65.98%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.17 ₩4,251

12.62%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.59 ₩2,137

-32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.63 ₩846

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.38 ₩3,191

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.59 ₩6,159

-33.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.72 ₩2,308

26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$2.49 ₩3,342

-67.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.29 ₩3,069

-24.02%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.64 ₩3,534

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$8.80 ₩11.8K

5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$7.82 ₩10.5K

-16.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$11.15 ₩14.9K

16.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$5.16 ₩6,922

-67.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$3.02 ₩4,043

-38.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.72 ₩4,991

-47.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$3.09 ₩4,137

-21.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$3.60 ₩4,826

-77.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.89 ₩2,537

-60.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.11 ₩2,833

-36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.28 ₩1,722

-39.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.36 ₩4,507

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$11.19 ₩15.0K

-31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.51 ₩2,027

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.31 ₩3,095

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.01 ₩1,348

-60.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$68.8 ₩92.3K

-77.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.06 ₩4,095

-62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.64 ₩852

21.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$7.84 ₩10.5K

50.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.20 ₩1,614

20.83%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$28.1K ₩37.6M

-12.43%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$35.2K ₩47.2M

-36.58%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$212 ₩284.0K

-58.08%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$44.13 ₩59.2K

-70.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$20.64 ₩27.7K

-4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$55.4 ₩74.2K

15.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$14.36 ₩19.2K

32.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$11.20 ₩15.0K

-36.43%

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

$375 ₾971

$299 ₩400.5K

25.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$17.5K ₩23.5M

-40.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$32.50 ₩43.6K

218.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$26.36 ₩35.3K

48.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$63.9 ₩85.6K

83.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$89.9 ₩120.5K

35.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$508 ₩681.4K

36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$370 ₩495.5K

22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,163 ₩1.6M

16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$744 ₩996.8K

21.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$7,980 ₩10.7M

-71.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$6,343 ₩8.5M

-78.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$2,834 ₩3.8M

-76.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.6

250.56%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Gwangju

$370 27.6% 18.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Gwangju

$308 23% 31.7% $74

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Gwangju

$134 10% 29.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Gwangju

$96 7.1% 44.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Gwangju

$277 20.6% 128% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Gwangju

$78 5.8% 0.7% $0.5

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 261% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $508 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $34 in Gwangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $308, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

10:55 10:55 AM

5 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,467,996

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Gwangju 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Gwangju

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $508 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,341 in Gwangju – Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

It comes down to priorities – Tbilisi wins on affordability, Gwangju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.