Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Orhei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $356 in Orhei.

Tbilisi $1,269
Orhei $356

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $580 in Orhei.

Tbilisi $2,016
Orhei $580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $805 in Orhei.

Tbilisi $2,763
Orhei $805

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 256% more expensive than in Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Orhei 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$11.28 MDL 202

3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$21.89 MDL 391

72.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$6.92 MDL 124

39.60%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.36 MDL 24.30

162.50%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.79 MDL 14.17

36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.47 MDL 8.37

19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.13 MDL 20.24

131.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.35 MDL 24.21

125.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.97 MDL 17.35

123.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.32 MDL 5.72

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.89 MDL 33.77

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.89 MDL 33.83

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.62 MDL 11.00

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.51 MDL 9.18

50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.16 MDL 2.85

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.14 MDL 20.36

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.71 MDL 30.50

-15.20%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$19.9K MDL 356.3K

12.09%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$58.7 MDL 1,050

51.25%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$6.68 MDL 119

96.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$9.96 MDL 178

97.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$3.28 MDL 58.6

117.07%

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

$375 ₾971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$33.31 MDL 596

211.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$32.83 MDL 587

19.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$105 MDL 1,881

11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$32.97 MDL 590

269.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Orhei

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Orhei

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Orhei

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Orhei

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Orhei

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Orhei

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Orhei

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $22 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $40 per month, with Orhei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

00:04 12:04 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

24,918

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Orhei 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orhei is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $534 in Orhei 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 488% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Orhei – a meal for two runs $22 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $356 in Orhei versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Orhei but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Orhei 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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Orhei are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.