Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Montana

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $833 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Montana
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Montana

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $833 in Montana, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Montana $833

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,339 in Montana, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Montana $1,339

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,846 in Montana, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Montana $1,846

Tbilisi costs about 52% more than Montana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Montana are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Montana 38% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$9.04 BGN 15.83
25.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$36.16 BGN 63.3
7.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.93
$9.85 BGN 17.24
-2.23%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.96
$1.39 BGN 2.43
148.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$1.38 BGN 2.42
-21.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$1.11 BGN 1.94
-43.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$1.28 BGN 2.24
116.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$1.01 BGN 1.77
206.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$1.69 BGN 2.96
33.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.08
$1.00 BGN 1.76
-20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$2.10 BGN 3.68
-16.19%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$2.72 BGN 4.77
1.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$9.73 BGN 17.03
-3.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$3.25 BGN 5.68
104.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.46
$12.63 BGN 22.10
2.30%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$1.21 BGN 2.12
38.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$1.78 BGN 3.12
1.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$1.76 BGN 3.07
9.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$2.56 BGN 4.49
-5.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$0.70 BGN 1.23
22.86%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$0.93 BGN 1.62
-25.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$0.90 BGN 1.58
55.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$0.49 BGN 0.86
44.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$3.68 BGN 6.44
-4.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$6.31 BGN 11.04
20.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$0.89 BGN 1.55
83.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$1.12 BGN 1.97
106.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.89 BGN 1.56
-58.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
$24.29 BGN 42.50
-35.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.66 BGN 1.15
72.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.47 BGN 0.83
68.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.71
$10.36 BGN 18.12
14.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.58 BGN 2.76
-11.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$19.6K BGN 34.3K
26.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$23.7K BGN 41.5K
-7.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$99.8 BGN 175
-10.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$18.72 BGN 32.77
-29.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.2
$8.52 BGN 14.90
131.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$29.86 BGN 52.3
117.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.25
$17.20 BGN 30.10
10.58%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$5.31 BGN 9.29
23.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$522 BGN 914
-27.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾28.0K
$5,479 BGN 9,589
97.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$67.8 BGN 119
50.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$42.05 BGN 73.6
-5.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$94.7 BGN 166
24.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$105 BGN 183
17.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$214 BGN 374
211.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$160 BGN 280
180.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,325
$404 BGN 707
217.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$304 BGN 532
192.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,277
$1,329 BGN 2,326
82.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,574
$1,078 BGN 1,886
28.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Montana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
$992 BGN 1,737
-31.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
3.1
307.10%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Montana
$160 64.4% $289
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Montana
$199 14.9% $35
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Montana
$137 27.2% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Montana
$139 19.3% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Montana
$127 4% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Montana
$40 48.1% $38
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Montana
$31 38.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $214 in Montana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Montana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $36.00 in Montana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $199 – making Montana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇧🇬 Montana
🕒 Local time
01:27 1:27 AM
00:27 12:27 AM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
44,502
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Montana 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Montana

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 Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montana cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,250 in Montana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 55% less in Montana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $522 in Montana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Montana?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Montana, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Montana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tbilisi or Montana more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Montana?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montana. 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.

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