Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lerwick

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,270 a month against $2,368 in Lerwick, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Lerwick
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Lerwick Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Lerwick

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lerwick

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $2,368 in Lerwick.

Tbilisi $1,270
Lerwick $2,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $3,415 in Lerwick.

Tbilisi $2,008
Lerwick $3,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $4,462 in Lerwick.

Tbilisi $2,745
Lerwick $4,462

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 46% less than in Lerwick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Lerwick is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$20.15 £15.11

-42.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$98.5 £73.9

-61.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$10.35 £7.76

-5.31%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$5.40 £4.05

-34.26%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$2.25 £1.69

-52.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$1.64 £1.23

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$6.45 £4.84

-57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$5.86 £4.40

-48.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.55 £1.16

39.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.69 £1.27

-55.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.21 £1.66

-21.27%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$4.02 £3.02

-30.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$9.37 £7.03

-1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$8.57 £6.43

-23.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$14.44 £10.84

-11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.03 £2.27

-44.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.51 £1.13

22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.76 £2.07

-28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$3.28 £2.46

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.83 £1.37

-52.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.71 £1.28

-57.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.26 £0.95

12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$1.55 £1.16

-53.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$24.02 £18.02

-85.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$10.48 £7.86

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$3.00 £2.25

-46.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$3.27 £2.46

-27.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$3.07 £2.30

-87.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$83.1 £62.3

-81.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$4.23 £3.18

-73.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$2.35 £1.76

-66.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$24.03 £18.03

-51.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$2.34 £1.75

-35.90%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$38.9K £29.2K

-36.66%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$34.5K £25.9K

-35.11%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$309 £232

-71.48%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$19.33 £14.50

-32.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$45.26 £33.95

-56.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$52.8 £39.61

21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$13.32 £9.99

-47.52%

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

$373 ₾966

$1,392 £1,045

-73.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$24.5K £18.4K

-56.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$88.7 £66.5

15.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$50.6 £37.93

-19.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$89.1 £66.8

30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$110 £82.8

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$1,112 £834

-39.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$1,036 £777

-56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$2,395 £1,797

-46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$1,523 £1,143

-41.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$4,646 £3,486

-48.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$3,438 £2,579

-58.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.09

147.94%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Lerwick

$1K 43.7% 128% $582

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Lerwick

$298 12.6% 28.1% $65

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lerwick

$317 13.4% 66.1% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lerwick

$152 6.4% 11.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Lerwick

$374 15.8% 210% $253

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lerwick

$79 3.4% 1.6% $1.3

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lerwick

$111 4.7% 404% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $1,112 in Lerwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $99.0 in Lerwick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $298 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇬🇧 Lerwick

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Lerwick 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lerwick

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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Tbilisi and $3,552 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $1,112 in Lerwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,368 in Lerwick – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 435% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $2,368 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 86% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.