Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mbarara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbarara: $504 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Mbarara

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $504 in Mbarara, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Mbarara $504

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $798 in Mbarara, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Mbarara $798

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,093 in Mbarara, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Mbarara $1,093

Tbilisi costs about 151% more than Mbarara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Mbarara are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Mbarara 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

357.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$25.03 UGX 102.9K

56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$7.64 UGX 31.4K

26.05%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.49 UGX 10.2K

38.96%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.35 UGX 1,455

211.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.28 UGX 1,165

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$1.22 UGX 4,998

127.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$1.89 UGX 7,765

64.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$0.49 UGX 2,012

359.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.88 UGX 3,621

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.27 UGX 5,239

38.58%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$1.56 UGX 6,409

76.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$4.49 UGX 18.5K

109.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$4.69 UGX 19.3K

42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$3.42 UGX 14.1K

277.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.11 UGX 8,662

-20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.28 UGX 5,284

40.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.29 UGX 5,316

48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$1.17 UGX 4,820

105.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.27 UGX 5,236

-32.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.22 UGX 5,007

-43.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.75 UGX 3,065

86.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.52 UGX 2,149

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.44 UGX 10.0K

43.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$7.27 UGX 29.9K

4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.06 UGX 4,363

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.96 UGX 8,042

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.74 UGX 3,030

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.48 UGX 1,975

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.32 UGX 1,334

146.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$3.16 UGX 13.0K

275.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.45 UGX 5,972

-3.45%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$7,458 UGX 30.7M

232.38%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$7,349 UGX 30.2M

197.42%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$70.7 UGX 290.7K

26.11%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$11.88 UGX 48.9K

11.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$35.51 UGX 146.1K

-44.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$18.93 UGX 77.9K

242.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$7.55 UGX 31.0K

-12.98%

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

$377 ₾975

$255 UGX 1.0M

47.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$8,455 UGX 34.8M

27.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$14.07 UGX 57.9K

626.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$13.15 UGX 54.1K

201.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$32.11 UGX 132.1K

266.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$44.20 UGX 181.8K

179.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$85.9 UGX 353.5K

674.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$74.2 UGX 305.2K

505.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$239 UGX 981.4K

438.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$172 UGX 708.1K

416.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

20.75

-39.18%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Mbarara

$74 14.7% 83.5% $375

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Mbarara

$141 28% 39.8% $93

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Mbarara

$85 16.9% 54.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Mbarara

$47 9.3% 73% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Mbarara

$118 23.4% 3.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Mbarara

$34 6.8% 56.4% $44

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Mbarara

$5.1 * 1% 77.3% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $85.9 in Mbarara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $25.00 in Mbarara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $141 – making Mbarara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

195,013

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Mbarara 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Mbarara

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 Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 151%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $755 in Mbarara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbarara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $25.00 in Mbarara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbarara, where all-in costs run around $504, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Mbarara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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