Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mussaffah

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mussaffah
Learn more

Mussaffah Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Mussaffah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Mussaffah

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Mussaffah $1,881

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,357 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Mussaffah $3,357

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,833 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Mussaffah $4,833

Tbilisi is about 33% cheaper than Mussaffah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Mussaffah is 38% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.10

$6.89 AED 25.32

68.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$32.36 AED 119

16.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾25.01

$9.61 AED 35.30

0.52%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.25

$4.82 AED 17.70

-25.93%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.74 AED 2.71

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.29 AED 1.06

93.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.79

$9.70 AED 35.64

-72.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$9.44 AED 34.69

-67.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.61

$1.77 AED 6.49

22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.15 AED 4.24

-30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.52

$1.94 AED 7.11

-10.31%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.32

$3.21 AED 11.79

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.10

$8.53 AED 31.33

9.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.87

$6.55 AED 24.06

-0.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.54

$10.27 AED 37.73

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.27 AED 8.33

-25.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$1.73 AED 6.37

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.11

$1.32 AED 4.85

49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.26

$1.29 AED 4.73

87.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.12

$1.04 AED 3.81

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.10 AED 4.05

-32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.48 AED 5.42

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.58 AED 2.14

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.25

$6.28 AED 23.06

-43.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.86

$13.77 AED 50.6

-44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.52 AED 9.26

-32.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.47 AED 9.06

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.17 AED 7.96

-81.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.43

$33.63 AED 124

-54.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.26 AED 11.96

-65.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.56 AED 2.05

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.62

$8.39 AED 30.81

41.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.94 AED 3.47

54.26%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$25.5K AED 93.5K

-3.50%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$21.3K AED 78.2K

4.84%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$189 AED 695

-53.06%

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

$13.12 ₾33.98

$58.4 AED 214

-77.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$93.6 AED 344

-78.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$56.7 AED 208

13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.30

$28.09 AED 103

-32.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.44

$13.85 AED 50.9

-48.59%

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

$375 ₾972

$685 AED 2,516

-45.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$8,383 AED 30.8K

24.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$58.8 AED 216

76.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$48.13 AED 177

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$109 AED 399

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$96.3 AED 354

26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,800

$805 AED 2,958

-13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,168

$818 AED 3,005

-44.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,508

$1,818 AED 6,678

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,346

$2,720 AED 9,989

-66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,942

$4,854 AED 17.8K

-52.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,482

$2,376 AED 8,727

-43.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,720

$2,910 AED 10.7K

-77.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.55

177.36%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mussaffah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Mussaffah

$818 43.5% 81.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Mussaffah

$236 12.5% 0.8% $1.8

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Mussaffah

$213 11.3% 11.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Mussaffah

$140 7.5% 18.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Mussaffah

$341 18.1% 181% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Mussaffah

$84 4.5% 7.8% $6.1

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Mussaffah

$48 2.6% 121% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $805 in Mussaffah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mussaffah are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $32 in Mussaffah. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $236 in Mussaffah – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇪 Mussaffah

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

Same time as Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

243,341

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Mussaffah 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Mussaffah

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 Mussaffah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,822 in Mussaffah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $805 in Mussaffah.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,881 in Mussaffah. That makes Tbilisi about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $685 in Mussaffah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.