Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karlovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $785 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
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Karlovo Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karlovo

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $785 in Karlovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Karlovo $785

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,263 in Karlovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Karlovo $1,263

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,742 in Karlovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Karlovo $1,742

Tbilisi costs about 62% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Karlovo are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Karlovo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$7.09 BGN 12.34

62.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$33.57 BGN 58.4

14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$8.66 BGN 15.07

13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$1.45 BGN 2.53

144.83%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$1.03 BGN 1.79

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.74 BGN 1.28

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.96 BGN 3.41

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$1.75 BGN 3.04

71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.17 BGN 2.04

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.87 BGN 3.25

-6.95%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$3.27 BGN 5.69

-14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$9.92 BGN 17.26

-7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$8.31 BGN 14.45

-21.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$5.86 BGN 10.20

118.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.26 BGN 2.19

32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.96 BGN 3.41

-5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.13 BGN 3.70

-7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$2.11 BGN 3.68

18.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.48 BGN 0.84

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-18.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.99 BGN 1.71

43.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$3.24 BGN 5.64

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$6.69 BGN 11.64

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$0.99 BGN 1.72

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$1.89 BGN 3.29

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.11 BGN 1.93

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$23.67 BGN 41.18

-34.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.17 BGN 2.03

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.71 BGN 1.23

11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$11.78 BGN 20.50

-1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.40 BGN 2.43

7.14%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

-17.89%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$22.3K BGN 38.8K

0.22%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$104 BGN 180

-14.88%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$14.45 BGN 25.13

-9.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$11.91 BGN 20.72

63.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$29.57 BGN 51.5

117.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$17.35 BGN 30.18

10.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$5.57 BGN 9.69

25.49%

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

$373 ₾966

$226 BGN 393

65.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$5,755 BGN 10.0K

85.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$28.50 BGN 49.60

260.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$11.54 BGN 20.08

250.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$56.9 BGN 99.0

104.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$45.99 BGN 80.0

165.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$335 BGN 583

101.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$191 BGN 332

137.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$534 BGN 929

139.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$403 BGN 701

120.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$1,320 BGN 2,297

82.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,083 BGN 1,885

30.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$448 BGN 779

56.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.25

288.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Karlovo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Karlovo

$191 24.3% 58% $263

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Karlovo

$205 26.2% 11.8% $28

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karlovo

$121 15.4% 36.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karlovo

$64 8.2% 62.5% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Karlovo

$130 16.6% 7.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karlovo

$41 5.2% 47.9% $37

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karlovo

$33 4.2% 48.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $335 in Karlovo. 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 57% 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $34.00 in Karlovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $205 – making Karlovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

23,919

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Karlovo 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karlovo

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 Karlovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $1,177 in Karlovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Karlovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $373 per month in Tbilisi and $226 in Karlovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlovo, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Karlovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karlovo. 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.