Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lusaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $872 in Lusaka.

Tbilisi $1,270
Lusaka $872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,488 in Lusaka.

Tbilisi $2,008
Lusaka $1,488

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $2,103 in Lusaka.

Tbilisi $2,745
Lusaka $2,103

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 46% more expensive than in Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Lusaka 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$5.58 ZMW 111

106.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$29.94 ZMW 595

27.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

96.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

25.00%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

37.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

117.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

-35.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

-13.43%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

42.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$10.49 ZMW 209

-12.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$6.34 ZMW 126

3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$6.61 ZMW 131

93.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

-49.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

-24.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

-45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

59.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

-65.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

-59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$10.09 ZMW 201

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$50.0 ZMW 995

-68.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

-53.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

-48.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

131.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

-0.66%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

222.17%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

-19.64%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

7.98%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$10.28 ZMW 204

27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

-64.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$15.21 ZMW 303

26.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$6.03 ZMW 120

15.92%

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

$373 ₾966

$139 ZMW 2,774

167.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

-35.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$23.04 ZMW 458

345.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$15.19 ZMW 302

166.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$45.38 ZMW 903

156.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

67.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$380 ZMW 7,564

78.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$177 ZMW 3,513

157.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

19.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$593 ZMW 11.8K

50.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

27.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

-71.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$316 ZMW 6,290

122.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-56.48%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Lusaka

$177 20.3% 61.1% $278

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Lusaka

$238 27.3% 2.1% $4.8

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lusaka

$110 12.6% 42.5% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lusaka

$70 8.1% 59% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Lusaka

$146 16.8% 21.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lusaka

$67 7.7% 14.1% $11

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lusaka

$64 7.3% 190% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $380 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 122% 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 $30.00 in Lusaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $238, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,742,979 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Lusaka 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lusaka

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Lusaka differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $872 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $677 in Tbilisi versus $380 in Lusaka. 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 $872 in Lusaka – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 222% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $872 in Lusaka versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.