Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Heraklion

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,594 in Heraklion, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Heraklion
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Heraklion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,594 in Heraklion.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Heraklion $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $2,499 in Heraklion.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Heraklion $2,499

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $3,403 in Heraklion.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Heraklion $3,403

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 21% less than in Heraklion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Heraklion is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$12.89 €11.47
-12.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$56.1 €49.86
-30.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.92
$9.92 €8.82
-2.92%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.95
$3.83 €3.41
-9.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$2.44 €2.17
-55.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$0.79 €0.70
-20.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$5.42 €4.82
-48.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$5.27 €4.69
-41.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$1.69 €1.51
33.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.07
$1.42 €1.27
-43.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$2.58 €2.29
-31.78%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$4.46 €3.97
-38.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$15.91 €14.15
-40.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$10.54 €9.38
-36.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.45
$15.14 €13.46
-14.66%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$2.17 €1.93
-23.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$2.14 €1.91
-15.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$1.37 €1.22
40.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$1.68 €1.50
43.45%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$1.23 €1.09
-30.08%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$1.23 €1.09
-43.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$0.93 €0.83
50.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$0.72 €0.64
-1.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$4.94 €4.39
-28.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$7.60 €6.76
0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$2.34 €2.08
-30.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$2.86 €2.54
-19.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$1.46 €1.30
-74.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
$67.6 €60.1
-76.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$4.37 €3.89
-73.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$1.13 €1.01
-30.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.70
$11.14 €9.91
6.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$2.16 €1.92
-35.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$27.3K €24.3K
-9.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$24.0K €21.3K
-8.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$194 €173
-54.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$30.65 €27.26
-56.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.1
$38.76 €34.48
-49.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$49.10 €43.68
32.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.24
$39.52 €35.15
-51.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$8.74 €7.77
-24.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$409 €364
-7.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾27.9K
$3,997 €3,555
170.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$90.1 €80.1
13.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$42.03 €37.39
-5.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$85.2 €75.8
38.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$136 €121
-9.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$640 €569
4.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$498 €443
-9.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,324
$1,089 €969
17.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$987 €878
-9.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,276
$4,043 €3,597
-40.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,573
$2,746 €2,442
-49.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Heraklion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
$1,128 €1,004
-39.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
4.44
184.23%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Heraklion
$498 10.9% $49
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Heraklion
$294 25.8% $60
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Heraklion
$229 22% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Heraklion
$159 7.8% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Heraklion
$264 116% $142
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Heraklion
$67 14.7% $11
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Heraklion
$83 275% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $640 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 66% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $56.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $294 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇬🇷 Heraklion
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
140,730
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Heraklion 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Heraklion

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heraklion cheaper than Tbilisi?
Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tbilisi or Heraklion?
On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Heraklion. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Tbilisi and Heraklion?
Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $640 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $409 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tbilisi and in Heraklion?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Heraklion?
At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,594 in Heraklion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tbilisi or Heraklion more family-friendly?
For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Heraklion?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Heraklion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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