Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karlovac

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovac: $1,222 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $560 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Karlovac
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Karlovac Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Karlovac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karlovac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,222 in Karlovac.

Tbilisi $1,269
Karlovac $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,821 in Karlovac.

Tbilisi $2,016
Karlovac $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $2,419 in Karlovac.

Tbilisi $2,763
Karlovac $2,419

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 4% more expensive than in Karlovac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Karlovac 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$11.20 €10.03

3.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$44.46 €39.82

-14.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$7.61 €6.82

26.94%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.96 €1.76

82.14%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.45 €2.19

-55.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.61 €1.44

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.43 €2.18

7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.46 €2.20

23.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.13 €1.01

92.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.13 €1.02

-29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.53 €1.37

13.73%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.16 €2.83

-10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.05 €8.11

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$9.86 €8.83

-33.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$12.02 €10.77

7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.97 €1.77

-14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.84 €1.65

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.83 €1.64

7.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.01 €1.80

20.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.38 €1.23

-40.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.06 €0.95

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.63 €1.46

-17.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.17 €1.05

-34.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.69 €5.10

-37.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$6.67 €5.98

14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.61 €1.44

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.31 €2.07

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$3.33 €2.98

-87.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$5.66 €5.07

-79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.09 €0.98

-28.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.69 €1.51

-14.20%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$26.3K €23.6K

-6.61%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$24.7K €22.1K

-9.59%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$178 €160

-50.24%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$27.68 €24.79

-52.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$38.87 €34.81

-49.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$38.63 €34.60

65.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$18.24 €16.34

4.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$6.55 €5.87

8.70%

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

$375 ₾971

$427 €383

-12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$6,876 €6,158

52.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$89.3 €79.9

16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$49.51 €44.34

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$88.8 €79.5

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$78.3 €70.1

55.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$478 €428

45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$349 €312

29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$733 €657

84.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$530 €475

70.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,746 €2,460

-16.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,382 €2,133

-43.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$1,399 €1,253

-52.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.72

239.25%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karlovac: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Karlovac

$349 28.5% 22.7% $102

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Karlovac

$245 20.1% 4.8% $11

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karlovac

$169 13.9% 11.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karlovac

$138 11.3% 19.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Karlovac

$245 20.1% 102% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karlovac

$52 4.2% 33.9% $27

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karlovac

$24 * 2% 11.5% $2.5

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 $695 in Tbilisi and $478 in Karlovac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovac pays about 2.1 times 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 $44 in Karlovac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $245 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇭🇷 Karlovac

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

41,869

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

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

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

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Karlovac 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karlovac

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 Karlovac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovac is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $478 in Karlovac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,222 in Karlovac – Karlovac is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Karlovac gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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