Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kutaisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kutaisi: $887 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Kutaisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$887
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kutaisi

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $887 in Kutaisi, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Kutaisi $887

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,320 in Kutaisi, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Kutaisi $1,320

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,754 in Kutaisi, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Kutaisi $1,754

Tbilisi costs about 43% more than Kutaisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Kutaisi are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Kutaisi 34% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$10.13 ₾26.22
11.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$30.82 ₾79.8
26.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.92
$10.72 ₾27.75
-10.17%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.95
$2.02 ₾5.24
71.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$0.80 ₾2.08
36.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$0.51 ₾1.31
23.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$1.27 ₾3.28
118.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$1.91 ₾4.94
62.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$1.75 ₾4.54
28.57%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.07
$0.48 ₾1.24
66.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$1.21 ₾3.14
45.45%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$2.37 ₾6.13
16.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$6.17 ₾15.96
52.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$4.74 ₾12.28
40.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.45
$10.46 ₾27.08
23.52%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$1.26 ₾3.27
32.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$1.59 ₾4.12
13.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$1.57 ₾4.05
22.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$1.79 ₾4.63
34.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$0.71 ₾1.84
21.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$0.65 ₾1.69
6.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.28 ₾3.31
9.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$0.66 ₾1.71
7.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$3.07 ₾7.96
14.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$3.96 ₾10.24
92.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$1.65 ₾4.27
-1.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$2.53 ₾6.54
-8.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.36 ₾0.93
2.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
$7.77 ₾20.13
101.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.79 ₾2.06
44.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.73 ₾1.90
8.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.70
$5.93 ₾15.36
100.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.34 ₾3.46
4.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$23.0K ₾59.4K
8.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$22.4K ₾58.0K
-2.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$77.4 ₾200
15.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$8.45 ₾21.87
56.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.1
$14.81 ₾38.34
33.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$41.59 ₾108
56.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.24
$8.23 ₾21.29
131.11%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$4.80 ₾12.43
36.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$128 ₾333
193.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾27.9K
$2,675 ₾6,924
303.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$56.2 ₾145
81.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$40.69 ₾105
-2.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$95.4 ₾247
23.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$86.4 ₾224
42.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$353 ₾913
88.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$264 ₾683
70.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,324
$526 ₾1,362
144.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$344 ₾892
158.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,276
$1,047 ₾2,709
131.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,573
$694 ₾1,797
98.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Kutaisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
$473 ₾1,224
43.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
15.67
-19.46%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kutaisi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Kutaisi
$264 41.2% $185
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Kutaisi
$179 23.4% $55
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Kutaisi
$153 18.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Kutaisi
$125 27.3% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Kutaisi
$101 17.6% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Kutaisi
$51 34.4% $27
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Kutaisi
$14 38.5% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $353 in Kutaisi. 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 44% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $31.00 in Kutaisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $179 – making Kutaisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Kutaisi
🕒 Local time
10:49 10:49 AM
10:49 10:49 AM
Same time as Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
130,411
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Tbilisi vs Kutaisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Kutaisi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $887 in Kutaisi – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Kutaisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,330 in Kutaisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Kutaisi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kutaisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $31.00 in Kutaisi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kutaisi, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Kutaisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Kutaisi?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $887 in Kutaisi to $1,266 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tbilisi or Kutaisi safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Kutaisi?
If budget matters most, go with Kutaisi. 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.

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