Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Podgorica

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,331 in Podgorica, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Podgorica outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Podgorica, Montenegro
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Podgorica
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Podgorica

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,331 in Podgorica, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Podgorica $1,331

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,096 in Podgorica, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Podgorica $2,096

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,860 in Podgorica, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Podgorica $2,860

Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper than Podgorica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tbilisi and Podgorica are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Podgorica 2% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$11.27 €10.10
3.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$44.27 €39.67
-14.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$10.56 €9.47
-8.52%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.12 €1.90
68.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$2.48 €2.22
-56.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$1.45 €1.30
-61.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$3.15 €2.83
-16.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$3.31 €2.97
-8.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.26 €1.13
72.22%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$0.99 €0.88
-19.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.99 €1.78
-12.56%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$3.59 €3.21
-21.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$8.85 €7.93
5.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$8.08 €7.24
-19.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$12.07 €10.81
7.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$1.63 €1.46
3.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.72 €1.54
7.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.80 €1.61
9.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$2.33 €2.09
3.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.95 €0.85
-13.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$1.07 €0.95
-30.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.50 €1.35
-10.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.83 €0.74
-7.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$4.28 €3.84
-16.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$5.72 €5.13
34.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.07 €0.95
58.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.61 €1.45
49.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$1.03 €0.92
-61.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$32.90 €29.49
-53.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.76 €0.68
50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.81 €0.72
-3.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$11.08 €9.93
6.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.89 €1.69
-23.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$28.5K €25.5K
-13.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$23.8K €21.3K
-6.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$130 €117
-31.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$18.48 €16.56
-29.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$32.17 €28.82
-38.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$50.2 €45.02
27.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$13.34 €11.95
42.73%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$6.61 €5.92
7.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$343 €308
9.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$7,326 €6,565
42.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$85.9 €77.0
20.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$46.72 €41.87
-15.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$98.1 €87.9
19.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$105 €93.8
16.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$663 €594
4.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$483 €432
-6.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$1,361 €1,220
-0.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$976 €875
-7.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$3,122 €2,798
-26.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$2,388 €2,140
-43.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Podgorica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$1,152 €1,032
-42.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
5.22
141.76%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Podgorica: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Podgorica
$483 7% $31
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Podgorica
$226 3.4% $7.9
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Podgorica
$186 2.7% $5.1
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Podgorica
$151 12.2% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Podgorica
$181 48.9% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Podgorica
$63 18.9% $15
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Podgorica
$42 90.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $663 in Podgorica. 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 73% higher in Podgorica. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $44 in Podgorica. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $226 in Podgorica – so Podgorica wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇲🇪 Podgorica
🕒 Local time
08:46 8:46 AM
05:46 5:46 AM
3 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
150,799 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Podgorica 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Podgorica

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 Podgorica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Podgorica compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $1,331 in Podgorica – Tbilisi comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Podgorica?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,997 in Podgorica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Tbilisi and in Podgorica?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $695 in Tbilisi and $663 in Podgorica. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tbilisi and Podgorica?
Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $343 in Podgorica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Podgorica – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $2,000 go in Tbilisi compared to Podgorica?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,331 in Podgorica, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Podgorica?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $1,331 in Podgorica. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tbilisi or Podgorica safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Podgorica?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Podgorica makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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