Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kocaeli Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kocaeli

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,218 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,011 in Kocaeli, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,853 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,569 in Kocaeli, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,128 in Kocaeli, rent included.

Tbilisi costs about 20% more than Kocaeli, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Tbilisi and Kocaeli are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 9% lower, Kocaeli 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₾28.75

$6.96 ₺322

55.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 ₾117

$22.09 ₺1,022

99.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 ₾21.94

$7.51 ₺348

10.25%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₾8.00

$2.77 ₺128

9.03%

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

$0.76 ₾2.02

$1.29 ₺59.6

-41.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.22

$0.50 ₺22.94

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾5.93

$2.50 ₺116

-10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.95

$2.20 ₺102

36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$0.92 ₺42.48

109.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₾1.91

$0.39 ₺18.19

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.87

$2.12 ₺98.0

-13.21%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.48

$1.88 ₺86.9

30.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₾19.67

$9.79 ₺453

-24.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ₾17.16

$5.99 ₺277

8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.70

$19.71 ₺912

-50.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₾3.18

$1.23 ₺56.7

-2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₾4.14

$2.48 ₺115

-37.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.75

$1.38 ₺63.8

29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.90

$1.68 ₺77.6

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.73

$0.94 ₺43.60

-30.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.79

$0.67 ₺31.22

1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.16

$0.93 ₺42.99

27.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.86

$0.54 ₺24.92

29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₾7.82

$2.04 ₺94.5

44.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₾19.41

$8.70 ₺402

-15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.02

$2.00 ₺92.4

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.95

$1.96 ₺90.5

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.36 ₺16.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.60 ₾38.68

$15.12 ₺699

-3.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.97

$1.05 ₺48.42

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.92

$0.65 ₺30.15

12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾19.74

$7.39 ₺342

0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.01

$1.20 ₺55.5

-5.00%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$35.3K ₺1.6M

-47.50%

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

$20.3K ₾53.6K

$37.3K ₺1.7M

-45.73%

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

$73.9 ₾196

$41.13 ₺1,903

79.63%

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

$11.71 ₾31.01

$14.66 ₺678

-20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.16 ₾48.09

$12.20 ₺564

48.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 ₾163

$18.09 ₺837

241.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₾44.12

$10.05 ₺465

65.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ₾17.50

$3.90 ₺181

69.49%

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

$264 ₾700

$312 ₺14.4K

-15.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,145 ₾13.6K

$7,692 ₺355.9K

-33.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 ₾198

$52.5 ₺2,430

42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₾117

$38.28 ₺1,771

14.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾312

$116 ₺5,345

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾301

$88.2 ₺4,080

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₾1,833

$517 ₺23.9K

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,203

$390 ₺18.0K

16.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 ₾3,504

$886 ₺41.0K

49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,089

$705 ₺32.6K

11.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,431 ₾6,440

$1,077 ₺49.8K

125.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 ₾3,818

$877 ₺40.5K

64.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 ₾1,709

$1,183 ₺54.7K

-45.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

36.83

-67.72%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kocaeli: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $692 in Tbilisi versus $517 in Kocaeli. 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 83% higher in Kocaeli, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Tbilisi versus $22.00 in Kocaeli. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Tbilisi vs $228 in Kocaeli – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kocaeli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 20% more than Kocaeli, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,827 per month in Tbilisi and $1,516 in Kocaeli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,218 in Tbilisi and $1,011 in Kocaeli. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Kocaeli. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kocaeli, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Tbilisi at $1,218. In Kocaeli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kocaeli costs $1,011 versus $1,218 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kocaeli. 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.