Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $486 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Jaffna

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $486 in Jaffna, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Jaffna $486

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Jaffna $1,063

Tbilisi costs about 161% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$1.04 LKR 345

1006.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

-3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$4.66 LKR 1,544

110.30%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$3.22 LKR 1,065

10.25%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$1.60 LKR 531

-33.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.52 LKR 173

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$3.57 LKR 1,183

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$5.99 LKR 1,983

-49.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$0.68 LKR 224

217.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.48 LKR 161

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.64 LKR 212

171.88%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.40 LKR 464

99.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$4.45 LKR 1,474

106.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$3.20 LKR 1,058

104.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$5.91 LKR 1,959

116.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.72 LKR 1,233

-55.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.50 LKR 166

270.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$3.07 LKR 1,016

-35.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.48 LKR 491

69.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.99 LKR 327

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.62 LKR 205

17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.63 LKR 207

125.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.39 LKR 131

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$11.67 LKR 3,865

-71.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$18.26 LKR 6,047

-57.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$2.56 LKR 848

-36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.31 LKR 103

19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$3.08 LKR 1,020

403.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$0.47 LKR 155

142.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.23 LKR 75.5

243.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.30 LKR 430

15.38%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

-51.16%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

94.34%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$2.95 LKR 977

343.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$5.97 LKR 1,977

975.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$1.84 LKR 609

279.89%

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

$373 ₾966

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

182.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$154 LKR 51.0K

340.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$138 LKR 45.7K

229.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$224 LKR 74.2K

470.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$196 LKR 64.9K

354.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Jaffna

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Jaffna

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $154 in Jaffna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $40.00 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $233 in Tbilisi vs $169 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

600,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Jaffna 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Jaffna

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 Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi, $486 in Jaffna – roughly 161% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $729 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jaffna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 404% less in Jaffna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jaffna, where all-in costs run around $486, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Jaffna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $486 in Jaffna to $1,270 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Jaffna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.