Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $824 in Kataragama, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Kataragama $824

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,140 in Kataragama, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Kataragama $1,140

Tbilisi costs about 152% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Kataragama are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Kataragama 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$3.87 LKR 1,286

200.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$24.70 LKR 8,214

55.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$7.34 LKR 2,440

32.70%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.43 LKR 807

46.50%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.67 LKR 224

61.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.27 LKR 90.8

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$2.23 LKR 742

22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$3.08 LKR 1,025

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.57 LKR 522

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.56 LKR 187

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.76 LKR 253

136.84%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.63 LKR 544

71.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$15.08 LKR 5,015

-37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$4.89 LKR 1,627

43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$7.66 LKR 2,547

65.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$6.54 LKR 2,174

-75.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$0.83 LKR 276

121.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$4.08 LKR 1,358

-51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.31 LKR 437

88.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.08 LKR 360

-30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.83 LKR 276

-19.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.24 LKR 414

13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.45 LKR 150

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$10.29 LKR 3,422

-65.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$13.61 LKR 4,527

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.96 LKR 652

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.94 LKR 978

-19.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.40 LKR 134

197.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.31 LKR 103

138.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$0.86 LKR 285

1282.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.34 LKR 445

8.96%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

-42.64%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

-49.98%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

55.05%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$4.15 LKR 1,380

206.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$20.61 LKR 6,857

-3.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.50 LKR 1,495

47.78%

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

$371 ₾961

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

835.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

-47.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$18.27 LKR 6,076

459.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$17.51 LKR 5,825

126.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

52.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

186.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

12.5

0.24%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Kataragama

$242 47.7% 3.1% $7.2

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kataragama

$103 20.3% 46.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Kataragama

$70 13.8% 59.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Kataragama

$82 16.1% 32.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 88.4% $69

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4% 91% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $25 in Kataragama. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Tbilisi vs $242 in Kataragama – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

15:11 3:11 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

20,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Kataragama 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 152% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $762 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Kataragama about 60% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $40 in Kataragama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $1,278 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.