Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,033 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Nis

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,033 in Nis, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
Nis $1,033

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,512 in Nis, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
Nis $1,512

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,991 in Nis, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
Nis $1,991

Tbilisi costs about 20% more than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Nis are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Nis 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.47

$8.78 RSD 917

25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$33.92 RSD 3,541

12.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$9.57 RSD 999

0.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$1.97 RSD 206

82.23%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$2.31 RSD 242

-55.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$1.74 RSD 182

-63.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$3.61 RSD 377

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$4.49 RSD 469

-29.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.14 RSD 120

86.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.70 RSD 73.2

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$1.76 RSD 184

-2.27%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$2.35 RSD 246

18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$7.65 RSD 799

23.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$5.72 RSD 597

12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$10.59 RSD 1,105

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$1.11 RSD 116

52.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$1.68 RSD 175

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$1.50 RSD 157

26.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$2.17 RSD 226

10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$0.78 RSD 81.8

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$0.72 RSD 74.7

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$0.64 RSD 66.6

121.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.58 RSD 60.6

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$4.42 RSD 461

-19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$5.78 RSD 604

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.44

$0.72 RSD 75.3

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$1.29 RSD 135

77.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.84 RSD 192

-35.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$0.66 RSD 68.8

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.51

$8.29 RSD 866

41.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.89 RSD 198

-25.40%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-21.12%

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

$21.7K ₾56.4K

$24.0K RSD 2.5M

-9.33%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$160 RSD 16.8K

-45.40%

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

$13.33 ₾34.56

$19.03 RSD 1,987

-29.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$22.20 RSD 2,318

-12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$30.54 RSD 3,188

111.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.87

$15.65 RSD 1,634

20.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$4.68 RSD 489

39.96%

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

$377 ₾978

$252 RSD 26.4K

49.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$4,989 RSD 520.9K

113.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$88.4 RSD 9,234

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$37.42 RSD 3,906

7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$99.3 RSD 10.4K

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$112 RSD 11.7K

8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$398 RSD 41.5K

69.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$277 RSD 28.9K

62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$591 RSD 61.7K

115.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$397 RSD 41.5K

122.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$2,531 RSD 264.2K

-4.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$1,884 RSD 196.7K

-25.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$901 RSD 94.0K

-21.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.12

146.48%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Nis

$277 27.1% 38.6% $174

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Nis

$182 17.8% 21.8% $51

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Nis

$166 16.2% 11% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Nis

$152 14.8% 11.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Nis

$202 19.7% 67.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Nis

$40 3.9% 48.7% $38

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Nis

$5.1 * 0.5% 76.5% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $398 in Nis. 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 28% higher in Nis, 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $34.00 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $182 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

78,470

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Nis 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Nis

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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 20% more than Nis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $1,549 in Nis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,242 in Tbilisi and $1,033 in Nis. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $252 in Nis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nis, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Tbilisi at $1,242. In Nis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nis costs $1,033 versus $1,242 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nis. 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.