Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lugano

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,345 in Lugano, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Lugano
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Lugano Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Lugano

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lugano

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,345 in Lugano, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Lugano $3,345

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $5,484 in Lugano, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Lugano $5,484

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $7,624 in Lugano, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Lugano $7,624

Tbilisi is about 62% cheaper than Lugano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Lugano is 146% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$35.07 CHF 28.93

-66.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$179 CHF 148

-78.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$19.20 CHF 15.84

-49.69%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.74 CHF 3.91

-24.68%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$5.30 CHF 4.37

-79.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$4.26 CHF 3.52

-86.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$9.65 CHF 7.96

-72.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$7.34 CHF 6.05

-58.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-4.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.76 CHF 3.10

-78.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$4.16 CHF 3.43

-58.17%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$7.31 CHF 6.03

-61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$25.97 CHF 21.42

-64.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$28.73 CHF 23.70

-77.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$40.41 CHF 33.33

-67.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$3.35 CHF 2.77

-49.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.70 CHF 1.41

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.50 CHF 2.06

-21.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$6.52 CHF 5.38

-62.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.86 CHF 1.53

-55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-65.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-46.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.19 CHF 0.98

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.01 CHF 9.08

-67.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$14.54 CHF 11.99

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$4.14 CHF 3.42

-42.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$3.05 CHF 2.52

-86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$62.8 CHF 51.8

-75.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$7.41 CHF 6.11

-84.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$5.40 CHF 4.46

-85.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$77.5 CHF 63.9

-84.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-35.56%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.5K

-37.53%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

-42.91%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$303 CHF 250

-70.65%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$24.90 CHF 20.54

-47.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$49.00 CHF 40.42

-59.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$73.7 CHF 60.8

-13.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$36.07 CHF 29.75

-47.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$20.63 CHF 17.02

-65.49%

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

$375 ₾971

$3,192 CHF 2,633

-88.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

-72.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$109 CHF 90.3

-5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$48.85 CHF 40.30

-19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$163 CHF 135

-28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$171 CHF 141

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,898 CHF 1,566

-63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,420 CHF 1,171

-68.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$3,851 CHF 3,177

-64.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$2,906 CHF 2,397

-68.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$15.2K CHF 12.5K

-84.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$9,375 CHF 7,733

-85.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$6,543 CHF 5,397

-89.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

2.37

432.49%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lugano: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Lugano

$1.4K 42.4% 215% $969

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Lugano

$606 18.1% 159% $372

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lugano

$496 14.8% 160% $306

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lugano

$222 6.6% 29% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Lugano

$377 11.3% 210% $255

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lugano

$115 3.4% 46.8% $37

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lugano

$109 3.3% 400% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,898 in Lugano. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lugano are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $179 in Lugano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $606 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇭 Lugano

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

63,583

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Lugano 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lugano

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 Lugano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugano costs about 163% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $5,017 in Lugano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $1,898 in Lugano.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $3,345 in Lugano. That makes Tbilisi about 62% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Lugano at $3,345. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lugano it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $3,345 in Lugano. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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