Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,258 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,242
/mo nomad
Leuven
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,258
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Leuven

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,258 in Leuven.

  • Tbilisi $1,242
  • Leuven $2,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $3,326 in Leuven.

  • Tbilisi $1,962
  • Leuven $3,326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $4,394 in Leuven.

  • Tbilisi $2,682
  • Leuven $4,394

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 45% less than in Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Leuven is 68% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 ₾28.46
$22.14 €19.76
-50.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.21 ₾99.0
$77.7 €69.4
-50.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.58 ₾24.84
$11.44 €10.21
-16.26%
Cappuccino
$3.59 ₾9.31
$4.50 €4.02
-20.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ₾2.66
$3.01 €2.69
-65.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.64
$2.90 €2.59
-78.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ₾7.10
$5.31 €4.74
-48.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ₾8.22
$4.53 €4.04
-30.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ₾5.53
$1.40 €1.25
52.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$2.74 €2.44
-72.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 ₾4.46
$1.99 €1.78
-13.57%
Eggs
$2.78 ₾7.21
$3.74 €3.34
-25.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 ₾24.56
$11.49 €10.25
-17.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.45 ₾16.71
$12.09 €10.79
-46.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 ₾33.76
$19.06 €17.01
-31.69%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 ₾4.37
$2.84 €2.54
-40.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.76
$2.23 €1.99
-17.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 ₾4.90
$2.25 €2.01
-16.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.40 ₾6.22
$2.24 €1.99
7.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 ₾2.17
$2.23 €1.99
-62.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 ₾1.75
$1.67 €1.49
-59.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.68
$1.47 €1.31
-3.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.01
$0.96 €0.86
-19.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56 ₾9.22
$13.54 €12.08
-73.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 ₾19.39
$7.17 €6.40
4.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₾4.43
$2.09 €1.87
-18.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₾5.94
$1.78 €1.59
28.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.04
$3.34 €2.98
-88.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.15 ₾39.27
$38.42 €34.29
-60.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$9.96 €8.89
-88.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.03
$2.51 €2.24
-68.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 ₾30.50
$24.90 €22.22
-52.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ₾3.65
$1.99 €1.77
-29.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K ₾62.9K
$35.8K €32.0K
-32.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K ₾56.3K
$33.6K €29.9K
-35.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.6 ₾227
$212 €189
-58.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.33 ₾34.55
$18.13 €16.18
-26.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.51 ₾50.6
$53.2 €47.45
-63.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.7 ₾168
$42.24 €37.69
53.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.85 ₾48.86
$19.53 €17.43
-3.48%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ₾16.97
$14.85 €13.25
-55.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾978
$711 €635
-46.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₾27.5K
$16.4K €14.6K
-35.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$98.8 €88.2
3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.36 ₾105
$26.29 €23.46
53.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾302
$88.4 €78.9
31.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 ₾314
$145 €129
-16.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$675 ₾1,749
$1,079 €963
-37.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,170
$995 €888
-54.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,275 ₾3,305
$2,028 €1,809
-37.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$883 ₾2,288
$1,601 €1,429
-44.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,415 ₾6,259
$5,421 €4,837
-55.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₾3,640
$3,574 €3,189
-60.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Leuven
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$706 ₾1,830
$3,770 €3,365
-81.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
3.52
258.52%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Leuven
$995 120% $544
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$232
Leuven
$320 37.6% $87
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$186
Leuven
$325 74.3% $138
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Leuven
$161 5.7% $9.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$120
Leuven
$283 135% $163
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Leuven
$72 7.5% $5.9
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Leuven
$74 240% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $1,079 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 434% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $78.0 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $320 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇧🇪 Leuven
🕒 Local time
09:14 9:14 AM
07:14 7:14 AM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
102,275
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Leuven 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Leuven

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 Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Leuven?
Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Leuven?
On paper, salaries run 434% lower in Leuven. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Leuven?
Rent for a central apartment: $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,079 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Tbilisi or in Leuven?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Leuven. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Tbilisi and in Leuven?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $78.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Tbilisi or in Leuven?
At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,258 in Leuven, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tbilisi or Leuven?
Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,242 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Leuven?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Leuven are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tbilisi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?