Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Mahabad

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Mahabad $1,135

Tbilisi costs about 142% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.06

$2.92 $2.92

297.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.3

$16.31 $16.31

135.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.18

$3.99 $3.99

144.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$1.13 $1.13

215.04%

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

$1.08 ₾2.79

$0.51 $0.51

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.99 $0.99

-43.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.08

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.54

$0.68 $0.68

214.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.51 $0.51

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$2.09 $2.09

-13.88%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.24 $1.24

125.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.39

$4.47 $4.47

110.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.09

$3.34 $3.34

109.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.82

$7.85 $7.85

61.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.03 $1.03

58.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.59 $1.59

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$0.86 $0.86

129.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.38

$0.57 $0.57

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.57 $0.57

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.47 $0.47

42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.54 $0.54

161.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.24 $0.24

200.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.46 $2.46

42.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.14 $0.14

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.54

$9.67 $9.67

58.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.44 $0.44

170.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.31 $0.31

138.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.75

$2.63 $2.63

352.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.10 $0.10

1360.00%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$50.0K $50.0K

-50.01%

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

$22.8K ₾59.0K

$45.4K $45.4K

-49.74%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$12.98 $12.98

578.97%

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

$12.71 ₾32.85

$1.57 $1.57

709.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$3.81 $3.81

419.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$18.40 $18.40

249.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.57

$13.52 $13.52

41.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.19

$2.04 $2.04

225.98%

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

$371 ₾960

$107 $107

245.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$2,442 $2,442

275.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$22.95 $22.95

345.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$27.82 $27.82

42.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$98.5 $98.5

19.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$73.7 $73.7

62.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$290 $290

137.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$212 $212

117.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,522

$806 $806

69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,320

$356 $356

151.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,888

$1,134 $1,134

100.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,562

$541 $541

154.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$254 $254

180.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

24.3

-48.44%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 54% $249

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 54.2% $127

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 71.3% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Mahabad

$100 19% 41.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 84.8% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 71% $55

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 43.7% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $290 in Mahabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tbilisi are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

30 min behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

208,541

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Mahabad 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 142%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 118% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – 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 Mahabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.