Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Howick

For one person, living is cheaper in Howick: $1,081 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Howick
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Howick Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Howick

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Howick

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,081 in Howick.

Tbilisi $1,269
Howick $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,676 in Howick.

Tbilisi $2,016
Howick $1,676

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $2,271 in Howick.

Tbilisi $2,763
Howick $2,271

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 17% more expensive than in Howick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Howick 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$8.03 R 133

44.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$38.85 R 645

-2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.50 R 91.3

75.64%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.66 R 44.23

34.21%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.09 R 18.19

-0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.92 R 15.32

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.39 R 39.69

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.52 R 41.80

20.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.21 R 20.08

79.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.98 R 16.30

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.56 R 25.92

11.54%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.34 R 38.88

20.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$8.23 R 137

13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.28 R 87.7

23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$7.20 R 120

79.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$1.99 R 33.03

-15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.88 R 31.24

-1.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.92 R 31.86

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.70 R 28.22

42.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.49 R 24.76

-44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.46 R 24.33

-49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.21 R 20.17

10.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.19 R 19.78

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.68 R 61.1

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.84 R 80.4

58.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.45 R 24.15

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.88 R 31.23

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.54 R 25.52

-74.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.45 R 7.49

153.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.75 R 12.41

4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$7.56 R 126

56.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.37 R 22.68

5.84%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$36.1K R 600.3K

-31.99%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$33.1K R 550.2K

-32.57%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$150 R 2,491

-40.78%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$15.25 R 253

-13.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$40.18 R 667

-51.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$31.93 R 530

100.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$10.99 R 183

73.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.09 R 118

0.42%

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

$375 ₾971

$309 R 5,141

21.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$7,814 R 129.8K

33.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$54.1 R 899

91.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$30.61 R 508

28.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$98.5 R 1,636

19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$84.3 R 1,400

44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$395 R 6,567

75.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$366 R 6,078

23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$735 R 12.2K

84.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$734 R 12.2K

23.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$868 R 14.4K

164.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$675 R 11.2K

99.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

11.78

7.13%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Howick: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Howick

$366 33.9% 18.9% $85

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Howick

$195 18% 16.7% $39

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Howick

$138 12.8% 27.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Howick

$120 11.1% 30% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Howick

$205 19% 68.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Howick

$46 4.3% 41.1% $32

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Howick

$10 * 1% 52.8% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $395 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $39 in Howick. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $195, with Howick cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Howick

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

32,453

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.54 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Howick 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Howick

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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $1,621 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $395 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $309 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $39 in Howick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Howick 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 Howick are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.