Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $823 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $823 in Karaj.

Tbilisi $1,269
Karaj $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,058 in Karaj.

Tbilisi $2,016
Karaj $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,293 in Karaj.

Tbilisi $2,763
Karaj $1,293

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 54% more expensive than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Karaj 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.54 $3.54

228.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$16.19 $16.19

133.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$3.97 $3.97

143.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.06 $1.06

236.79%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.43 $0.43

151.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-66.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.70 $0.70

210.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.52 $0.52

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.07 $2.07

-15.94%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.03 $1.03

174.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$4.48 $4.48

107.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$3.33 $3.33

95.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.43 $10.43

24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$0.89 $0.89

88.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.70 $1.70

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$0.80 $0.80

146.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.49 $0.49

393.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.46 $0.46

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.47 $0.47

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.54 $0.54

148.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.21 $0.21

266.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.48 $2.48

43.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.20 $0.20

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$13.11 $13.11

16.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.29 $0.29

293.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.31 $0.31

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$2.64 $2.64

348.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.08 $0.08

1712.50%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$49.5K $49.5K

-50.30%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$45.6K $45.6K

-51.04%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$13.24 $13.24

570.69%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$1.54 $1.54

751.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$3.81 $3.81

416.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$23.04 $23.04

177.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$10.08 $10.08

88.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$1.06 $1.06

571.70%

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

$375 ₾971

$108 $108

248.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$839 $839

1148.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$25.32 $25.32

309.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$27.83 $27.83

41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$97.8 $97.8

19.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$73.3 $73.3

66.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$298 $298

133.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$488 $488

-7.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$798 $798

69.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$476 $476

90.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,274 $1,274

80.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$527 $527

155.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$239 $239

177.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-45.13%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Karaj

$488 59.3% 8.1% $37

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Karaj

$113 13.8% 51.6% $121

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karaj

$61 7.5% 67.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karaj

$101 12.3% 41.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Karaj

$19 2.3% 84.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 67.9% $53

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 27.9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $298 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $16 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $113 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

30 min behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,712,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Karaj 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karaj

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 Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $823 in Karaj, so Karaj is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $298 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $16 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $823 in Karaj versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Karaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Karaj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Karaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.