Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Karabuk: $1,021 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Karabuk, Turkey
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Karabuk
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,021
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karabuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $1,021 in Karabuk.

  • Tbilisi $1,278
  • Karabuk $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $1,553 in Karabuk.

  • Tbilisi $2,017
  • Karabuk $1,553

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $2,085 in Karabuk.

  • Tbilisi $2,755
  • Karabuk $2,085

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 25% more expensive than in Karabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Karabuk 24% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 ₾30.07
$8.11 ₺406
43.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.41 ₾99.4
$24.37 ₺1,219
57.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 ₾25.20
$8.32 ₺416
17.07%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ₾9.21
$3.57 ₺179
-0.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.80
$1.08 ₺54.1
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.46
$0.27 ₺13.44
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 ₾7.05
$1.58 ₺79.2
72.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ₾8.09
$2.85 ₺142
9.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ₾5.55
$0.98 ₺49.04
118.37%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.94 ₺47.02
-20.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.66
$2.40 ₺120
-25.00%
Eggs
$2.80 ₾7.25
$2.66 ₺133
5.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 ₾24.41
$9.77 ₺489
-3.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.00 ₾18.10
$3.88 ₺194
80.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 ₾32.83
$20.40 ₺1,021
-37.79%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 ₾4.22
$1.65 ₺82.4
-1.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.77
$1.98 ₺99.0
-7.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.09
$0.86 ₺43.18
129.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₾6.39
$1.16 ₺58.2
112.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.48 ₺23.92
56.25%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 ₾1.74
$0.43 ₺21.33
55.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 ₾3.66
$0.79 ₺39.67
78.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.86
$0.61 ₺30.28
18.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$2.15 ₺107
63.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 ₾20.40
$8.04 ₺402
-1.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.41
$2.14 ₺107
-20.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 ₾6.12
$2.14 ₺107
10.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 ₾0.98
$0.80 ₺40.06
-52.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.29 ₾39.56
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$0.99 ₺49.49
20.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.88 ₺44.15
-15.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.89 ₾30.76
$5.95 ₺298
99.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 ₾3.77
$1.26 ₺62.9
15.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K ₾64.6K
$40.6K ₺2.0M
-38.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ₾59.1K
$48.5K ₺2.4M
-52.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.1 ₾228
$78.0 ₺3,901
13.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.71 ₾32.87
$10.18 ₺509
24.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.79 ₾51.2
$12.70 ₺635
55.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.3 ₾166
$54.5 ₺2,724
18.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ₾17.20
$5.01 ₺251
32.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$371 ₾961
$458 ₺22.9K
-18.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,163 ₾23.7K
$6,096 ₺305.0K
50.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾264
$47.71 ₺2,387
114.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.65 ₾103
$53.0 ₺2,650
-25.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾306
$118 ₺5,912
-0.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₾310
$102 ₺5,103
17.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$690 ₾1,784
$422 ₺21.1K
63.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$461 ₾1,193
$328 ₺16.4K
40.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,362 ₾3,523
$767 ₺38.4K
77.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$897 ₾2,321
$560 ₺28.0K
60.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,277 ₾5,891
$1,280 ₺64.0K
77.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,378 ₾3,564
$1,032 ₺51.6K
33.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Karabuk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 ₾1,836
$1,213 ₺60.7K
-41.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.53
41
-69.44%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$461
Karabuk
$328 28.8% $133
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$235
Karabuk
$223 5.3% $13
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Karabuk
$152 20.8% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Karabuk
$144 15.5% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Karabuk
$101 16.4% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Karabuk
$64 16.9% $13
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Karabuk
$8.6 * 60.3% $13

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 $690 in Tbilisi and $422 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $24 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $223 per month, with Karabuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇹🇷 Karabuk
🕒 Local time
14:11 2:11 PM
13:11 1:11 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
123,309
💱 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 Karabuk 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Karabuk

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 Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Karabuk?
Karabuk wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Karabuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Karabuk?
On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Karabuk?
Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $422 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Tbilisi or in Karabuk?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Tbilisi compared to Karabuk?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,021 in Karabuk – Karabuk is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tbilisi or in Karabuk?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Karabuk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tbilisi or Karabuk?
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.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Karabuk?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Karabuk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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