Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lerwick Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lerwick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $2,275 in Lerwick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Tbilisi versus $3,421 in Lerwick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Tbilisi versus $4,566 in Lerwick.

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 46% less than in Lerwick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 10% below, Lerwick is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₾29.00

$20.71 £15.30

-47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 ₾116

$81.9 £60.6

-47.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 ₾22.24

$10.08 £7.45

-17.96%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ₾7.94

$4.78 £3.53

-38.28%

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

$0.76 ₾2.05

$2.35 £1.74

-67.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.13

$1.66 £1.23

-74.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$6.07 £4.49

-63.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.71

$6.24 £4.61

-54.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.19

$1.65 £1.22

16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.84

$1.66 £1.23

-59.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.97

$2.18 £1.61

-15.14%

Eggs

$2.49 ₾6.69

$3.84 £2.84

-35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 ₾20.27

$9.72 £7.18

-22.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ₾17.09

$8.73 £6.45

-27.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 ₾25.38

$14.32 £10.59

-34.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$3.07 £2.27

-61.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₾4.26

$1.62 £1.20

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ₾5.00

$2.94 £2.17

-36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$3.44 £2.54

-34.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.79

$1.62 £1.20

-59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.83

$1.54 £1.14

-55.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.17

$1.06 £0.78

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.77

$1.47 £1.09

-55.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₾8.25

$18.92 £13.98

-83.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₾20.34

$10.71 £7.91

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.08

$2.81 £2.07

-45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾6.15

$3.20 £2.36

-28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₾0.95

$3.46 £2.56

-89.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.79 ₾39.78

$88.2 £65.2

-83.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₾3.90

$5.48 £4.05

-73.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$1.58 £1.17

-53.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 ₾19.78

$22.97 £16.97

-68.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.93

$1.96 £1.45

-44.39%

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

$18.4K ₾49.5K

$37.9K £28.0K

-51.40%

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

$20.3K ₾54.5K

$41.3K £30.5K

-50.92%

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

$73.3 ₾197

$301 £222

-75.61%

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

$11.72 ₾31.53

$17.12 £12.65

-31.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₾48.08

$43.41 £32.08

-58.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ₾165

$46.43 £34.31

31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ₾43.94

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₾17.73

$13.47 £9.96

-51.08%

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

$261 ₾702

$1,600 £1,182

-83.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,156 ₾13.9K

$18.3K £13.5K

-71.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 ₾205

$82.4 £60.9

-7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.83 ₾118

$44.29 £32.73

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₾325

$91.4 £67.5

32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾304

$97.2 £71.8

16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 ₾1,873

$1,206 £891

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,226

$986 £729

-53.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 ₾3,500

$2,062 £1,524

-36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 ₾2,067

$1,673 £1,236

-54.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 ₾6,725

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 ₾3,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 ₾1,756

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

5.63

111.19%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 13, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $696 in Tbilisi and $1,206 in Lerwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Tbilisi vs $82 in Lerwick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $299 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,827 in Tbilisi and $3,413 in Lerwick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $696 in Tbilisi versus $1,206 in Lerwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,218 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,275 in Lerwick – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 496% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $2,275 in Lerwick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Lerwick are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.