Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Meru Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Meru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $489 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Tbilisi versus $822 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,522 in Tbilisi versus $1,155 in Meru.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 144% more expensive than in Meru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 11% lower, Meru 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 ₾28.56

$5.55 KES 717

96.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.19 ₾113

$38.95 KES 5,034

10.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 ₾22.31

$6.70 KES 866

27.31%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ₾7.81

$2.49 KES 322

20.08%

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

$0.81 ₾2.12

$0.70 KES 91.0

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.09

$0.53 KES 68.6

-20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ₾5.65

$2.28 KES 295

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₾7.52

$2.83 KES 366

1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₾5.08

$0.84 KES 108

130.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.41 KES 52.6

65.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.83

$1.06 KES 137

74.53%

Eggs

$2.53 ₾6.62

$1.41 KES 182

79.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₾19.69

$11.83 KES 1,528

-36.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 ₾16.39

$6.75 KES 873

-7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ₾25.09

$4.88 KES 631

96.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ₾3.04

$3.09 KES 399

-62.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.29

$0.75 KES 97.4

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.93

$0.79 KES 102

137.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.84

$0.75 KES 97.6

197.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$1.06 KES 137

-33.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₾1.68

$0.99 KES 128

-35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.09

$0.22 KES 28.36

436.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$0.44 KES 57.1

59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₾7.78

$3.07 KES 397

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 ₾19.45

$11.46 KES 1,481

-35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.03

$2.30 KES 298

-33.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₾5.98

$2.79 KES 361

-18.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ₾38.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₾3.71

$1.57 KES 203

-9.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.81

$1.52 KES 196

-54.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ₾19.02

$2.85 KES 369

155.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.86

$1.03 KES 134

5.83%

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

$18.3K ₾47.9K

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-15.16%

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

$20.5K ₾53.6K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

2.08%

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

$74.4 ₾195

$34.33 KES 4,437

116.57%

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

$11.71 ₾30.63

$16.69 KES 2,157

-29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ₾46.06

$39.11 KES 5,055

-55.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 ₾158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 ₾42.63

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.03

$6.14 KES 794

6.03%

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

$269 ₾704

$201 KES 26.0K

33.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,154 ₾13.5K

$8,069 KES 1.0M

-36.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 ₾202

$18.42 KES 2,380

318.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 ₾114

$23.74 KES 3,068

83.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾310

$65.0 KES 8,402

82.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾295

$57.1 KES 7,385

97.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 ₾1,856

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₾1,215

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₾3,442

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₾2,007

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,492 ₾6,522

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,442 ₾3,773

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 ₾1,735

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

14.84

-19.88%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Last update for Meru: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $39.00 in Meru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $184 per month, with Meru cheaper across the board.

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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meru wins on cost – living expenses run 144% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,787 in Tbilisi and $734 in Meru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $201 in Meru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Meru – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Meru versus $1,191 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meru but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Meru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $489 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meru hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Meru 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 Meru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.