Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $874 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kocani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $874 in Kocani.

Tbilisi $1,269
Kocani $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,333 in Kocani.

Tbilisi $2,016
Kocani $1,333

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,793 in Kocani.

Tbilisi $2,763
Kocani $1,793

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 45% more expensive than in Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Kocani 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.10

$9.85 MKD 539

18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$34.31 MKD 1,876

10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾25.01

$6.59 MKD 361

46.59%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.25

$1.11 MKD 60.5

221.62%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.49 MKD 81.2

-27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.11 MKD 60.9

-49.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.79

$2.68 MKD 147

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$3.11 MKD 170

-2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.61

$1.18 MKD 64.7

83.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.58 MKD 31.63

37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.52

$1.62 MKD 88.7

7.41%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.32

$1.76 MKD 96.1

60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.10

$6.53 MKD 357

42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.87

$4.36 MKD 238

49.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.54

$8.02 MKD 438

61.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$1.26 MKD 68.7

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$1.41 MKD 77.0

31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.11

$1.25 MKD 68.3

57.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.26

$1.87 MKD 102

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.12

$0.76 MKD 41.32

7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.83 MKD 45.61

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.57 MKD 31.31

135.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.46 MKD 25.39

67.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.25

$3.52 MKD 193

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.86

$3.74 MKD 205

105.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.80 MKD 43.90

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.07 MKD 58.4

124.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.39 MKD 76.3

-71.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.43

$23.31 MKD 1,275

-34.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.12 MKD 61.3

1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.62 MKD 33.80

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.62

$3.09 MKD 169

282.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.41 MKD 77.1

2.84%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-27.31%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

-14.32%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$156 MKD 8,526

-43.05%

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

$13.12 ₾33.98

$17.57 MKD 961

-25.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$14.57 MKD 796

35.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$16.05 MKD 878

299.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.30

$17.51 MKD 957

8.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.44

$7.27 MKD 398

-2.06%

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

$375 ₾972

$371 MKD 20.3K

1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,705 MKD 311.9K

83.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$62.8 MKD 3,433

65.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$37.53 MKD 2,052

4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$91.9 MKD 5,027

27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$101 MKD 5,544

20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,800

$274 MKD 15.0K

153.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,168

$197 MKD 10.8K

128.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,508

$558 MKD 30.5K

142.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,346

$332 MKD 18.1K

173.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,942

$1,693 MKD 92.5K

35.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,482

$1,001 MKD 54.7K

34.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,720

$456 MKD 24.9K

45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.23

198.35%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kocani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Kocani

$197 22.6% 56.3% $254

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Kocani

$151 17.3% 35.4% $83

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kocani

$142 16.2% 25.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Kocani

$132 15.1% 23.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Kocani

$188 21.5% 54.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Kocani

$31 3.5% 60.9% $48

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kocani

$33 3.8% 51.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $274 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $34 in Kocani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $151 per month, with Kocani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇰 Kocani

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

29,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kocani 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kocani

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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $874 in Kocani, so Kocani is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $274 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 35% less than in Kocani. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $371 in Kocani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $874 in Kocani versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kocani but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kocani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kocani wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.