Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Loja $681

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Loja $1,468

Tbilisi costs about 87% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Loja are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Loja 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.05 $3.05

281.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$20.66 $20.66

83.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.61 $5.61

72.19%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.22 $2.22

60.81%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.78 $0.78

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.43 $0.43

30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.22 $1.22

114.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$3.23 $3.23

-5.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.02 $1.02

112.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.48 $1.48

-45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.32 $1.32

31.82%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.92 $1.92

47.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$5.60 $5.60

66.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.29 $4.29

51.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$6.07 $6.07

113.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.69 $1.69

-0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.09 $1.09

69.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.20 $1.20

64.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.12 $1.12

116.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.06 $1.06

-22.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.03 $1.03

-28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.52 $0.52

157.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.11 $1.11

-30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.23 $5.23

-31.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$6.82 $6.82

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.53 $1.53

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.93 $2.93

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.33 $0.33

21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$30.52 $30.52

-50.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.24 $1.24

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.08 $1.08

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$9.86 $9.86

19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.74 $0.74

95.95%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$15.0K $15.0K

63.35%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-21.67%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$19.98 $19.98

344.44%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$11.49 $11.49

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$27.07 $27.07

-27.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$29.70 $29.70

115.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$15.03 $15.03

26.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.26 $7.26

-1.93%

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

$375 ₾971

$180 $180

108.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$1,965 $1,965

432.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$52.8 $52.8

96.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$47.86 $47.86

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$79.9 $79.9

46.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$73.1 $73.1

66.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$240 $240

190.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$172 $172

161.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$377 $377

258.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$315 $315

187.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$559 $559

310.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$324 $324

315.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$506 $506

31.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

8.5

48.47%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Loja

$172 25.3% 61.8% $279

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Loja

$168 24.6% 28.3% $66

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Loja

$85 12.5% 55.2% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Loja

$114 16.8% 33.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Loja

$59 8.6% 51.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Loja

$44 6.5% 43.5% $34

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Loja

$38 5.7% 75.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $240 in Loja. 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 31% 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 $38 in Tbilisi versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

03:31 3:31 AM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

180,617

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Loja 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $180 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $681, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.