Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Iskenderun

For one person, living is cheaper in Iskenderun: $965 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Iskenderun, Turkey
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Iskenderun
🇹🇷 Turkey
$965
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Iskenderun

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $965 in Iskenderun, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,278
  • Iskenderun $965

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,450 in Iskenderun, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,017
  • Iskenderun $1,450

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,935 in Iskenderun, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,755
  • Iskenderun $1,935

Tbilisi costs about 32% more than Iskenderun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Iskenderun are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Iskenderun 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 ₾30.07
$6.01 ₺301
93.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.41 ₾99.4
$29.58 ₺1,480
29.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 ₾25.20
$6.11 ₺306
59.41%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ₾9.21
$3.08 ₺154
15.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.80
$1.11 ₺55.7
-2.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.46
$0.27 ₺13.51
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 ₾7.05
$2.39 ₺119
14.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ₾8.09
$2.63 ₺132
19.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ₾5.55
$1.03 ₺51.5
107.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.78 ₺39.26
-3.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.66
$1.67 ₺83.5
7.78%
Eggs
$2.80 ₾7.25
$1.85 ₺92.7
51.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 ₾24.41
$7.36 ₺368
28.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.00 ₾18.10
$3.92 ₺196
78.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 ₾32.83
$17.71 ₺886
-28.35%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 ₾4.22
$1.62 ₺80.8
0.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.77
$1.84 ₺92.1
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.09
$0.85 ₺42.55
131.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₾6.39
$1.07 ₺53.5
130.84%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.49 ₺24.53
53.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 ₾1.74
$0.37 ₺18.65
81.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 ₾3.66
$0.84 ₺42.07
67.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.86
$0.61 ₺30.42
18.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$2.11 ₺106
66.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 ₾20.40
$9.93 ₺497
-20.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.41
$2.32 ₺116
-26.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 ₾6.12
$3.20 ₺160
-25.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 ₾0.98
$0.66 ₺32.77
-42.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.29 ₾39.56
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$0.98 ₺49.27
21.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.92 ₺46.09
-19.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.89 ₾30.76
$10.06 ₺503
18.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 ₾3.77
$1.25 ₺62.4
16.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K ₾64.6K
$40.5K ₺2.0M
-38.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ₾59.1K
$41.4K ₺2.1M
-44.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.1 ₾228
$88.3 ₺4,417
-0.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.71 ₾32.87
$9.59 ₺480
32.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.79 ₾51.2
$10.35 ₺518
91.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.3 ₾166
$47.34 ₺2,368
35.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ₾17.20
$6.10 ₺305
9.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$371 ₾961
$443 ₺22.2K
-16.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,163 ₾23.7K
$7,098 ₺355.1K
29.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾264
$53.4 ₺2,672
91.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.65 ₾103
$28.94 ₺1,447
37.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾306
$113 ₺5,642
4.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₾310
$108 ₺5,411
10.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$690 ₾1,784
$428 ₺21.4K
61.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$461 ₾1,193
$321 ₺16.1K
43.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,362 ₾3,523
$704 ₺35.2K
93.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$897 ₾2,321
$508 ₺25.4K
76.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,277 ₾5,891
$1,128 ₺56.4K
101.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,378 ₾3,564
$950 ₺47.5K
45.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Iskenderun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 ₾1,836
$1,122 ₺56.1K
-36.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.53
35
-64.20%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Iskenderun: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$461
Iskenderun
$321 30.4% $140
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$235
Iskenderun
$206 12.5% $29
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Iskenderun
$126 34.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Iskenderun
$136 20.1% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Iskenderun
$108 10.3% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Iskenderun
$60 23.3% $18
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Iskenderun
$8.2 * 62.1% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $428 in Iskenderun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Iskenderun, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $30 in Iskenderun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $206 – making Iskenderun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇹🇷 Iskenderun
🕒 Local time
14:11 2:11 PM
13:11 1:11 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
246,639
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Iskenderun 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Iskenderun

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 Iskenderun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iskenderun cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $1,448 in Iskenderun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Iskenderun, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $428 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.
What are total monthly expenses in Tbilisi and in Iskenderun?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $965 in Iskenderun. That makes Iskenderun about 24% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $443 in Iskenderun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Tbilisi or in Iskenderun?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $965 in Iskenderun to $1,278 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Iskenderun?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Tbilisi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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