Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $820 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Pogradec
Learn more

Pogradec Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Pogradec

🇦🇱 Albania

$820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Pogradec

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $820 in Pogradec.

Tbilisi $1,269
Pogradec $820

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,353 in Pogradec.

Tbilisi $2,016
Pogradec $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,887 in Pogradec.

Tbilisi $2,763
Pogradec $1,887

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 55% more expensive than in Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Pogradec 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$9.62 ALL 781

20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$39.12 ALL 3,177

-3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$7.30 ALL 593

32.33%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.58 ALL 129

125.95%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.81 ALL 147

-40.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.68 ALL 55.6

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.49 ALL 121

75.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.66 ALL 216

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.97 ALL 160

10.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.91 ALL 73.8

-12.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.05 ALL 167

-15.12%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.28 ALL 186

24.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$8.19 ALL 665

13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.36 ALL 354

49.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$14.35 ALL 1,166

-9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.27 ALL 103

32.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.35 ALL 191

-21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.50 ALL 122

31.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.26 ALL 102

92.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.97 ALL 79.0

-15.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.02 ALL 83.1

-27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.02 ALL 82.6

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.84 ALL 68.4

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.28 ALL 348

-16.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$7.80 ALL 634

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.25 ALL 102

36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.82 ALL 148

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.51 ALL 41.08

-21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$18.76 ALL 1,524

-18.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.64 ALL 296

-68.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.86 ALL 151

-58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$18.50 ALL 1,503

-36.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$2.28 ALL 185

-36.40%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$33.1K ALL 2.7M

-25.68%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$24.3K ALL 2.0M

-8.13%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$61.3 ALL 4,976

44.93%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$16.66 ALL 1,353

-21.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$17.47 ALL 1,419

12.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$36.29 ALL 2,947

76.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$18.73 ALL 1,521

1.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$8.62 ALL 700

-17.40%

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

$375 ₾971

$99.8 ALL 8,105

276.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$49.22 ALL 3,998

110.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$56.0 ALL 4,549

-29.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$96.9 ALL 7,871

21.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$149 ALL 12.1K

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$185 ALL 15.1K

275.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$126 ALL 10.2K

259.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$366 ALL 29.7K

270.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$251 ALL 20.4K

260.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,626 ALL 132.1K

41.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,499 ALL 121.8K

-10.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$478 ALL 38.9K

38.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

152.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Pogradec

$126 15.3% 72.2% $326

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Pogradec

$213 26% 9% $21

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Pogradec

$141 17.2% 26.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Pogradec

$158 19.3% 8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Pogradec

$95 11.6% 21.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Pogradec

$54 6.5% 31.6% $25

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Pogradec

$34 4.1% 54.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 39% 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: $38 in Tbilisi vs $39 in Pogradec. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $213, with Pogradec cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇱 Pogradec

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

05:46 5:46 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

20,848

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 81.22 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.69 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Pogradec 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Pogradec

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pogradec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $39 in Pogradec. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Pogradec is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Pogradec wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.