Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $893 in Montanita.

Tbilisi $1,269
Montanita $893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,344 in Montanita.

Tbilisi $2,016
Montanita $1,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,796 in Montanita.

Tbilisi $2,763
Montanita $1,796

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 42% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Montanita 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.44 $3.44

238.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$27.67 $27.67

36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$7.30 $7.30

32.33%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.40 $2.40

48.75%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.85 $0.85

27.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.63 $0.63

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.96 $1.96

33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$3.59 $3.59

-15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.13 $1.13

92.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.71 $1.71

-53.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.50 $1.50

16.00%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.10 $2.10

34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.08

$5.40 $5.40

72.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.86

$5.45 $5.45

19.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$6.40 $6.40

102.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.10 $2.10

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$1.22 $1.22

51.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.09 $1.09

80.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.09 $1.09

122.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.43 $1.43

-42.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.02 $1.02

-27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.49 $0.49

173.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.02 $1.02

-24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.10 $6.10

-41.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.84

$9.82 $9.82

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.52 $1.52

11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.55 $2.55

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.36 $0.36

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.39

$23.56 $23.56

-35.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.53 $1.53

-25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.02 $1.02

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.59

$10.03 $10.03

17.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.62 $0.62

133.87%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$24.9K $24.9K

-1.19%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

-20.97%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$40.55 $40.55

118.99%

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

$13.12 ₾33.94

$13.96 $13.96

-6.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$30.87 $30.87

-36.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$29.86 $29.86

114.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.25

$14.43 $14.43

31.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.33 $7.33

-2.86%

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

$375 ₾971

$256 $256

46.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,690 $5,690

84.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$55.5 $55.5

86.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$42.86 $42.86

-8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$101 $101

16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$74.8 $74.8

62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$336 $336

106.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$321 $321

40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,505

$622 $622

118.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,344

$503 $503

80.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,936

$1,245 $1,245

84.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,479

$1,013 $1,013

32.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

26.20%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montanita: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Montanita

$321 35.9% 28.9% $130

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Montanita

$186 20.8% 20.5% $48

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Montanita

$101 11.3% 46.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Montanita

$123 13.8% 28.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Montanita

$85 9.6% 29.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Montanita

$45 5% 43.1% $34

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Montanita

$32 3.6% 44.5% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $336 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $186 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Montanita 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $1,339 in Montanita 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $336 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $256 in Montanita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Montanita versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.