Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kalutara Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kalutara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $527 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $865 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,203 in Kalutara.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 125% more expensive than Kalutara, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Kalutara 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$3.93 LKR 1,253

183.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$25.04 LKR 7,985

72.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$8.48 LKR 2,704

-3.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$2.71 LKR 866

15.50%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$0.69 LKR 221

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.41 LKR 129

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$2.30 LKR 732

-7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$3.33 LKR 1,061

-10.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.71 LKR 545

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.52 LKR 167

40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$0.80 LKR 256

131.25%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$2.13 LKR 681

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$13.90 LKR 4,434

-43.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$4.72 LKR 1,505

32.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$7.81 LKR 2,489

25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$7.46 LKR 2,379

-83.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.12 LKR 356

41.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$5.82 LKR 1,857

-69.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$1.19 LKR 381

94.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$1.16 LKR 371

-38.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$1.40 LKR 447

-52.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$1.14 LKR 363

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.60 LKR 192

18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$10.15 LKR 3,238

-71.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$12.69 LKR 4,046

-42.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$2.00 LKR 637

-22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$2.94 LKR 939

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$0.41 LKR 132

260.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.32 LKR 103

115.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$0.62 LKR 197

1101.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$1.26 LKR 402

-8.73%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$26.6K LKR 8.5M

-32.28%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$34.9K LKR 11.1M

-43.16%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$59.3 LKR 18.9K

23.95%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$4.34 LKR 1,385

168.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$14.85 LKR 4,734

19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$10.16 LKR 3,240

496.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$3.27 LKR 1,043

99.08%

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

$263 ₾707

$37.30 LKR 11.9K

604.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$447 LKR 142.6K

1048.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$27.50 LKR 8,770

182.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$19.70 LKR 6,282

125.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$69.4 LKR 22.1K

69.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$38.84 LKR 12.4K

193.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

16.45

-27.72%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $25.00 in Kalutara. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $255, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,777 in Tbilisi and $790 in Kalutara 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.

Childcare runs $263 in Tbilisi versus $37.30 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalutara – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $527 in Kalutara versus $1,185 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $527 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Kalutara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kalutara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.