Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $655 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $655 in Machala.

Tbilisi $1,278
Machala $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $1,044 in Machala.

Tbilisi $2,017
Machala $1,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,433 in Machala.

Tbilisi $2,755
Machala $1,433

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 95% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Machala 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$2.80 $2.80

315.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$24.64 $24.64

55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$5.27 $5.27

84.82%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.71 $2.71

31.37%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.91 $0.91

18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.68 $0.68

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.95 $1.95

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$3.85 $3.85

-18.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.10 $1.10

94.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.05 $1.05

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.94 $0.94

91.49%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.45 $1.45

93.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$3.34 $3.34

182.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$4.20 $4.20

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$4.78 $4.78

165.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$1.47 $1.47

10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$0.64 $0.64

187.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$0.72 $0.72

173.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$0.53 $0.53

366.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.38 $0.38

97.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.52 $0.52

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.39 $0.39

261.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.95 $0.95

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$4.31 $4.31

-18.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$7.72 $7.72

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.49 $1.49

14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.21 $2.21

7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.33 $0.33

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$22.17 $22.17

-31.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.47 $1.47

-19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.48 $1.48

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$7.89 $7.89

50.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.64 $0.64

128.13%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$18.1K $18.1K

38.37%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$21.9K $21.9K

4.28%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$52.2 $52.2

68.93%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$14.95 $14.95

-14.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$26.06 $26.06

-24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$43.32 $43.32

48.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$30.54 $30.54

-37.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$5.03 $5.03

32.21%

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

$371 ₾961

$135 $135

175.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$9,038 $9,038

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$66.5 $66.5

53.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$40.79 $40.79

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$79.8 $79.8

47.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$67.8 $67.8

76.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$192 $192

259.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$131 $131

250.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$354 $354

284.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$262 $262

242.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$454 $454

56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

150.60%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Machala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Machala

$131 20.1% 71.5% $330

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Machala

$136 20.7% 42.3% $100

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Machala

$95 14.4% 50.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Machala

$115 17.5% 32.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Machala

$93 14.2% 22.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Machala

$53 8.2% 31.2% $24

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Machala

$32 4.9% 49.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $192 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 56% 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 in Tbilisi vs $25 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

23:16 11:16 PM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

231,260

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Machala 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $690 in Tbilisi versus $192 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Tbilisi versus $655 in Machala – Machala is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $655 in Machala versus $1,278 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Machala 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.

It comes down to priorities – Machala wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.