Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karbala

For one person, living is cheaper in Karbala: $584 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Karbala
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Karbala Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Karbala

🇮🇶 Iraq

$584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karbala

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $584 in Karbala, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Karbala $584

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $919 in Karbala, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Karbala $919

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,254 in Karbala, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Karbala $1,254

Tbilisi costs about 117% more than Karbala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Karbala are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Karbala 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.88 IQD 5,867

199.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$16.22 IQD 24.5K

133.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.88 IQD 7,374

97.95%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.29 IQD 1,948

176.74%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.34 IQD 516

217.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.24 IQD 362

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.04 IQD 4,589

-13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.78 IQD 2,687

70.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.04 IQD 1,571

108.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.82 IQD 1,236

-2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.20 IQD 1,806

45.00%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.53 IQD 2,309

84.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$4.97 IQD 7,505

87.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$3.51 IQD 5,310

85.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.63 IQD 14.5K

34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$0.88 IQD 1,336

90.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.94 IQD 1,427

96.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$0.94 IQD 1,415

109.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.48 IQD 724

404.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.65 IQD 975

26.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.50 IQD 753

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.70 IQD 1,057

91.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.45 IQD 684

71.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.70 IQD 2,562

110.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.39 IQD 2,104

22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.71 IQD 2,577

40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.35 IQD 521

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

-22.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.84 IQD 2,776

-38.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.34 IQD 2,023

-41.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$6.78 IQD 10.2K

74.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.44 IQD 672

229.55%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$16.2K IQD 24.4M

51.89%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

33.25%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$67.6 IQD 102.2K

31.36%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

8.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$24.09 IQD 36.4K

-18.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$19.95 IQD 30.1K

221.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$8.13 IQD 12.3K

-12.42%

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

$375 ₾971

$127 IQD 192.0K

195.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$2,760 IQD 4.2M

279.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$14.74 IQD 22.3K

603.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$13.08 IQD 19.8K

200.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$26.84 IQD 40.6K

337.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$53.6 IQD 81.0K

127.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$174 IQD 262.4K

300.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$134 IQD 201.8K

237.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$371 IQD 560.7K

265.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$320 IQD 483.9K

182.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$721 IQD 1.1M

218.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$581 IQD 877.3K

131.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$347 IQD 524.6K

91.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.33

278.98%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karbala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Karbala

$134 22.9% 70.4% $318

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Karbala

$150 25.7% 35.9% $84

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karbala

$82 14.1% 56.9% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karbala

$49 8.3% 71.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Karbala

$104 17.8% 14.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karbala

$36 6.2% 53.8% $42

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karbala

$30 5.1% 34.8% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $174 in Karbala. 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 91% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $16 in Karbala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $150 – making Karbala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇶 Karbala

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

19:20 7:20 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

572,300

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Karbala 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karbala

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 Karbala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 117%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $876 in Karbala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karbala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $174 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $584 in Karbala. That’s a gap of about 117%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karbala, where all-in costs run around $584, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Karbala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karbala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karbala. 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.