Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $511 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.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Katunayaka, Sri Lanka
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Katunayaka
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$511
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Katunayaka

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $511 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,278
  • Katunayaka $511

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $831 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,017
  • Katunayaka $831

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,150 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,755
  • Katunayaka $1,150

Tbilisi costs about 150% more than Katunayaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 ₾30.07
$3.90 LKR 1,297
197.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.41 ₾99.4
$25.05 LKR 8,331
53.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 ₾25.20
$7.69 LKR 2,558
26.66%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ₾9.21
$2.55 LKR 847
39.61%
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 89.9
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 ₾7.05
$2.17 LKR 723
25.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ₾8.09
$3.06 LKR 1,016
2.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ₾5.55
$1.62 LKR 540
32.10%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.53 LKR 178
41.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.66
$0.79 LKR 264
127.85%
Eggs
$2.80 ₾7.25
$1.63 LKR 543
71.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 ₾24.41
$15.37 LKR 5,111
-38.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.00 ₾18.10
$5.06 LKR 1,684
38.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 ₾32.83
$7.57 LKR 2,519
67.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 ₾4.22
$6.46 LKR 2,149
-74.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.77
$0.89 LKR 297
106.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.09
$4.28 LKR 1,424
-53.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₾6.39
$1.29 LKR 428
91.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$1.04 LKR 346
-27.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 ₾1.74
$0.81 LKR 270
-17.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 ₾3.66
$1.21 LKR 401
16.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.86
$0.45 LKR 151
60.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$10.08 LKR 3,352
-65.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 ₾20.40
$13.40 LKR 4,456
-41.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.41
$1.87 LKR 621
-9.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 ₾6.12
$2.83 LKR 941
-16.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
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
$0.38 LKR 126
213.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.31 LKR 103
138.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.89 ₾30.76
$0.94 LKR 311
1164.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 ₾3.77
$1.32 LKR 439
10.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K ₾64.6K
$44.3K LKR 14.7M
-43.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ₾59.1K
$44.9K LKR 14.9M
-49.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.1 ₾228
$55.9 LKR 18.6K
57.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.71 ₾32.87
$4.22 LKR 1,405
201.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.79 ₾51.2
$20.66 LKR 6,870
-4.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.3 ₾166
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ₾17.20
$4.52 LKR 1,504
47.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$371 ₾961
$40.29 LKR 13.4K
821.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,163 ₾23.7K
$17.1K LKR 5.7M
-46.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾264
$18.02 LKR 5,993
467.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.65 ₾103
$17.52 LKR 5,829
126.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾306
$78.9 LKR 26.3K
49.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₾310
$41.78 LKR 13.9K
186.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Katunayaka
Difference
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 Katunayaka: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$461
Katunayaka
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$235
Katunayaka
$243 3.5% $8.3
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Katunayaka
$106 44.8% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Katunayaka
$70 58.8% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Katunayaka
$81 33% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Katunayaka
$9 * 88.4% $69
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Katunayaka
$1.9 * 91.1% $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 Katunayaka. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Tbilisi vs $243 in Katunayaka – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇱🇰 Katunayaka
🕒 Local time
05:12 5:12 AM
06:42 6:42 AM
1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
84,643
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

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 = 0.343 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 = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Katunayaka 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Katunayaka cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $767 in Katunayaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Tbilisi and in Katunayaka?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $511 in Katunayaka. That makes Katunayaka about 60% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $40 in Katunayaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Katunayaka?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Katunayaka, where all-in costs run around $511, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Katunayaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Tbilisi or in Katunayaka?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $511 in Katunayaka to $1,278 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Tbilisi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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