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: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $489 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $812 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,136 in Meru.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 142% more expensive than Meru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Meru 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$5.34 KES 689

108.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$39.12 KES 5,049

10.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$6.79 KES 876

21.06%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$2.40 KES 309

30.42%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$0.76 KES 98.2

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.53 KES 68.8

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$2.37 KES 306

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$2.82 KES 364

6.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$0.87 KES 113

117.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.40 KES 51.9

82.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.06 KES 137

74.53%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$1.41 KES 182

73.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$11.51 KES 1,486

-31.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$6.60 KES 852

-5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$4.98 KES 643

96.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$3.02 KES 389

-59.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$0.80 KES 103

98.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$0.80 KES 103

123.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$0.79 KES 103

193.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$1.03 KES 133

-31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$0.99 KES 128

-32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$0.24 KES 31.06

391.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.44 KES 57.3

61.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$3.14 KES 405

-7.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$11.51 KES 1,485

-37.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$2.22 KES 286

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$2.81 KES 363

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$1.53 KES 198

-3.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$1.49 KES 193

-53.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$2.84 KES 367

162.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$1.07 KES 138

7.48%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$21.3K KES 2.8M

-15.66%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$19.7K KES 2.5M

0.82%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$34.22 KES 4,417

114.61%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$16.94 KES 2,187

-31.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$38.87 KES 5,017

-54.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$6.06 KES 782

7.43%

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

$263 ₾707

$203 KES 26.1K

29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$8,181 KES 1.1M

-37.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$18.30 KES 2,362

324.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$24.23 KES 3,127

83.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$66.2 KES 8,550

77.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$56.1 KES 7,243

103.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Meru: April 26, 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 $206 vs $183 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 142% 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 $1,777 in Tbilisi and $733 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 $263 in Tbilisi versus $203 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 $1,185 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 142% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.