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: $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $494 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Tbilisi versus $821 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Tbilisi versus $1,148 in Meru.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 147% more expensive than Meru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Meru 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₾28.75

$5.50 KES 714

97.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 ₾117

$39.30 KES 5,096

12.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 ₾21.94

$6.70 KES 868

23.58%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₾8.00

$2.39 KES 310

26.36%

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

$0.76 ₾2.02

$0.76 KES 98.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.22

$0.50 KES 64.4

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾5.93

$2.35 KES 305

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.95

$2.93 KES 380

2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$0.82 KES 106

135.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₾1.91

$0.40 KES 52.4

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.87

$1.10 KES 143

67.27%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.48

$1.44 KES 187

70.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₾19.67

$11.48 KES 1,488

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ₾17.16

$6.81 KES 883

-4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.70

$5.12 KES 664

89.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₾3.18

$3.07 KES 398

-60.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₾4.14

$0.78 KES 102

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.75

$0.79 KES 103

126.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.90

$0.75 KES 97.9

197.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.73

$1.03 KES 134

-36.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.79

$1.03 KES 134

-33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.16

$0.22 KES 28.37

440.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.86

$0.45 KES 57.9

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₾7.82

$3.08 KES 399

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₾19.41

$11.42 KES 1,480

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.02

$2.22 KES 287

-31.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.95

$2.81 KES 364

-19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.60 ₾38.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.97

$1.57 KES 204

-4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.92

$1.57 KES 203

-53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾19.74

$2.97 KES 386

150.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.01

$1.09 KES 141

4.59%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$21.3K KES 2.8M

-13.26%

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

$20.3K ₾53.6K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

-0.15%

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

$73.9 ₾196

$34.79 KES 4,511

112.36%

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

$11.71 ₾31.01

$16.59 KES 2,151

-29.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.16 ₾48.09

$39.34 KES 5,101

-53.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 ₾163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₾44.12

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ₾17.50

$6.27 KES 813

5.42%

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

$264 ₾700

$203 KES 26.4K

29.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,145 ₾13.6K

$8,189 KES 1.1M

-37.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 ₾198

$18.16 KES 2,355

312.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₾117

$24.29 KES 3,149

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾312

$64.3 KES 8,332

83.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾301

$55.9 KES 7,252

103.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₾1,833

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,203

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,089

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,431 ₾6,440

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 ₾3,818

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 ₾1,709

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Meru: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 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 147% 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 $1,827 in Tbilisi and $741 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 $264 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 $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $494 in Meru versus $1,218 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 $494 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 147% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.