Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kaunas

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $1,477 in Kaunas, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,242
/mo nomad
Kaunas
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,477
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kaunas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,477 in Kaunas.

  • Tbilisi $1,242
  • Kaunas $1,477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $2,241 in Kaunas.

  • Tbilisi $1,962
  • Kaunas $2,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $3,005 in Kaunas.

  • Tbilisi $2,682
  • Kaunas $3,005

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 16% less than in Kaunas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Kaunas is 10% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 ₾28.46
$11.80 €10.53
-6.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.21 ₾99.0
$68.4 €61.1
-44.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.58 ₾24.84
$9.90 €8.84
-3.23%
Cappuccino
$3.59 ₾9.31
$3.46 €3.08
3.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ₾2.66
$3.33 €2.97
-69.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.64
$3.22 €2.87
-80.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ₾7.10
$5.07 €4.52
-45.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ₾8.22
$4.36 €3.89
-27.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ₾5.53
$1.57 €1.40
35.67%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$1.79 €1.59
-58.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 ₾4.46
$2.22 €1.98
-22.52%
Eggs
$2.78 ₾7.21
$3.36 €3.00
-17.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 ₾24.56
$14.71 €13.13
-35.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.45 ₾16.71
$8.13 €7.25
-20.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 ₾33.76
$13.60 €12.14
-4.26%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 ₾4.37
$1.55 €1.38
9.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.76
$1.50 €1.34
22.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 ₾4.90
$2.17 €1.94
-12.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.40 ₾6.22
$3.33 €2.97
-27.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 ₾2.17
$0.94 €0.84
-10.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 ₾1.75
$0.98 €0.87
-30.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.68
$1.83 €1.63
-22.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.01
$0.96 €0.86
-19.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56 ₾9.22
$6.14 €5.48
-42.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 ₾19.39
$10.19 €9.10
-26.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₾4.43
$1.74 €1.55
-1.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₾5.94
$2.11 €1.89
8.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.04
$1.09 €0.98
-63.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.15 ₾39.27
$31.96 €28.52
-52.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$1.14 €1.02
4.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.03
$0.87 €0.77
-10.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 ₾30.50
$15.71 €14.02
-25.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ₾3.65
$1.91 €1.71
-26.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K ₾62.9K
$26.9K €24.0K
-9.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K ₾56.3K
$28.8K €25.7K
-24.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.6 ₾227
$203 €181
-56.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.33 ₾34.55
$16.06 €14.34
-17.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.51 ₾50.6
$15.30 €13.65
27.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.7 ₾168
$32.92 €29.38
96.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.85 ₾48.86
$28.67 €25.59
-34.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ₾16.97
$11.99 €10.70
-45.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾978
$682 €609
-44.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₾27.5K
$8,760 €7,818
21.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$85.7 €76.5
19.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.36 ₾105
$40.43 €36.08
-0.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾302
$121 €108
-3.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 ₾314
$164 €146
-26.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$675 ₾1,749
$627 €560
7.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,170
$438 €391
3.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,275 ₾3,305
$929 €829
37.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$883 ₾2,288
$657 €586
34.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,415 ₾6,259
$3,679 €3,283
-34.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₾3,640
$2,386 €2,130
-41.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Kaunas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$706 ₾1,830
$1,696 €1,513
-58.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
4.05
211.60%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Kaunas
$438 3% $14
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$232
Kaunas
$280 20.6% $48
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$186
Kaunas
$226 21.2% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Kaunas
$185 8.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$120
Kaunas
$234 94.3% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Kaunas
$57 26.9% $21
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Kaunas
$42 91.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $627 in Kaunas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 140% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $68.0 in Kaunas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $280 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇱🇹 Kaunas
🕒 Local time
09:14 9:14 AM
08:14 8:14 AM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
315,993
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Kaunas 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Kaunas

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 Kaunas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Kaunas?
Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Kaunas?
On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Kaunas. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Kaunas?
Rent for a central apartment: $675 in Tbilisi versus $627 in Kaunas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Tbilisi and in Kaunas?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $68.0 in Kaunas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Tbilisi compared to Kaunas?
All in, you'll spend $1,242 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,477 in Kaunas – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Tbilisi or in Kaunas?
At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,477 in Kaunas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tbilisi or Kaunas?
Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,242 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Kaunas?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Kaunas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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