Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Pietermaritzburg

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,555 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Pietermaritzburg $1,555

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,077 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Pietermaritzburg $2,077

Tbilisi costs about 23% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Pietermaritzburg 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$7.74 R 129

50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$35.63 R 594

6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.80 R 96.6

66.55%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.36 R 39.27

51.27%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.16 R 19.40

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.03 R 17.15

-45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.15 R 35.77

21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.51 R 41.75

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.33 R 22.16

63.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.92 R 15.33

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.70 R 28.31

2.35%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.16 R 52.7

-10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$7.22 R 120

28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.94 R 82.3

31.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$6.36 R 106

103.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.04 R 34.00

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.94 R 32.28

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.32 R 38.74

-15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.03 R 33.90

19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.78 R 29.68

-53.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.81 R 30.09

-59.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.49 R 24.78

-10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.04 R 17.28

-25.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.14 R 52.3

13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$3.92 R 65.4

95.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.42 R 23.70

19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.75 R 29.20

37.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.86 R 47.70

-86.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$19.71 R 328

-22.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.59 R 26.52

-28.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.06 R 17.69

-26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.44 R 23.96

0.69%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$26.5K R 442.3K

-7.41%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.8K R 446.3K

-16.60%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$205 R 3,416

-56.68%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$32.46 R 541

-59.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$37.19 R 620

-47.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$43.80 R 730

46.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$3.05 R 50.9

524.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$4.84 R 80.6

47.11%

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

$375 ₾971

$177 R 2,949

112.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,103 R 85.0K

105.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$56.7 R 945

82.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$34.35 R 572

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$114 R 1,897

3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$69.9 R 1,165

74.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$216 R 3,606

221.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$217 R 3,613

108.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$576 R 9,598

135.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$405 R 6,753

123.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$5,914 R 98.5K

-61.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$148 R 2,470

807.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$1,058 R 17.6K

-37.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

11.67

8.14%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21% 51.9% $234

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 16.9% $39

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 30.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 28.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6% 126% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2% 31.7% $25

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 73.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $216 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 59% higher in Pietermaritzburg, 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 in Tbilisi versus $36 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $194 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

618,536

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Pietermaritzburg 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Pietermaritzburg

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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,550 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $177 in Pietermaritzburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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