Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,727 in Karlstad, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
Learn more

Karlstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,727 in Karlstad, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Karlstad $1,727

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,665 in Karlstad, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Karlstad $2,665

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,603 in Karlstad, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Karlstad $3,603

Tbilisi is about 26% cheaper than Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Karlstad is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$15.14 SEK 149

-23.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$80.5 SEK 791

-53.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$10.07 SEK 98.9

-4.07%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.86 SEK 47.71

-26.54%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.45 SEK 24.02

-55.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.16 SEK 21.26

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.60 SEK 64.8

-53.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.45 SEK 14.23

49.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$2.83 SEK 27.82

-71.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$3.68 SEK 36.16

-52.72%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$4.37 SEK 42.88

-35.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$10.17 SEK 99.9

-8.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$13.96 SEK 137

-53.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$17.73 SEK 174

-26.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$2.95 SEK 28.93

-43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.68 SEK 26.36

-30.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.03 SEK 29.73

-34.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-55.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.92 SEK 18.81

-57.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.72 SEK 16.85

-56.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.64 SEK 25.89

-49.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.30 SEK 12.75

-40.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-48.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$10.17 SEK 99.9

-24.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.42 SEK 23.81

-29.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.04 SEK 19.99

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$3.13 SEK 30.72

-87.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$80.4 SEK 789

-81.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$5.46 SEK 53.6

-79.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.29 SEK 12.68

-39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$60.4 SEK 593

-80.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.72 SEK 16.91

-15.70%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

-24.71%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

-33.82%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$99.4 SEK 976

-10.65%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$15.73 SEK 154

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$43.76 SEK 430

-55.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$45.27 SEK 445

41.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$16.66 SEK 164

14.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$14.08 SEK 138

-49.43%

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

$375 ₾971

$126 SEK 1,237

198.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$106 SEK 1,038

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$39.85 SEK 391

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$75.9 SEK 745

54.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$141 SEK 1,385

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$868 SEK 8,524

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$575 SEK 5,642

-21.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$867 SEK 8,510

4.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

-40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

-51.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

-79.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.09

208.56%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 27.4% $123

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 58.3% $136

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 47.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 5.1% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 30.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 6.2% $4.9

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 379% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $868 in Karlstad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karlstad are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $81 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $370 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

62,797

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Karlstad 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlstad is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,590 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $868 in Karlstad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $81 in Karlstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,727 in Karlstad. That makes Tbilisi about 26% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,727 in Karlstad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $1,727 in Karlstad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karlstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.