Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $711 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
Learn more

Ongjin Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$711

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ongjin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $711 in Ongjin.

Tbilisi $1,266
Ongjin $711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $1,113 in Ongjin.

Tbilisi $2,007
Ongjin $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $1,514 in Ongjin.

Tbilisi $2,749
Ongjin $1,514

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 78% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Ongjin 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$2.71 $2.71

318.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$22.81 $22.81

71.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$8.04 $8.04

19.78%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$1.13 $1.13

206.19%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.94 $0.94

15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.99 $0.99

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$6.89 $6.89

-59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$2.17 $2.17

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$0.91 $0.91

147.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.58 $1.58

-49.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.16 $2.16

-18.52%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.13 $3.13

-12.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$4.47 $4.47

110.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$2.22 $2.22

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$5.64 $5.64

129.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$6.77 $6.77

-75.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$4.57 $4.57

-60.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$2.25 $2.25

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$2.21 $2.21

9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$3.26 $3.26

-73.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$3.45 $3.45

-80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.26 $2.26

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.46 $0.46

54.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$4.41 $4.41

-20.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$7.99 $7.99

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.10 $1.10

48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$2.21 $2.21

4.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.97 $0.97

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$39.70 $39.70

-60.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.53 $1.53

-25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$2.27 $2.27

-65.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$39.99 $39.99

-70.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.70 $0.70

100.00%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$22.1K $22.1K

12.02%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

-21.61%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$33.24 $33.24

168.11%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$11.00 $11.00

20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$45.10 $45.10

-56.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$41.60 $41.60

56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$14.47 $14.47

31.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$7.63 $7.63

-13.89%

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

$377 ₾975

$107 $107

253.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$2,080 $2,080

419.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$22.73 $22.73

349.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$27.97 $27.97

41.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$60.7 $60.7

94.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$84.6 $84.6

45.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$89.7 $89.7

642.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$87.9 $87.9

411.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$2,189 $2,189

-41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$133 $133

568.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$1,663 $1,663

45.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,376 $1,376

0.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$208 $208

227.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

7.11

77.50%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Ongjin

$88 12.4% 80.4% $361

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Ongjin

$226 31.8% 3.2% $7.6

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Ongjin

$106 14.9% 43.7% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Ongjin

$88 12.4% 48.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Ongjin

$89 12.6% 26.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ongjin

$57 8% 27.2% $21

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Ongjin

$56 8% 154% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $89.7 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 227% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $23.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $226 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

5 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

152,878

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Ongjin 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 227% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $89.7 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongjin – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Ongjin versus $1,266 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongjin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.