Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Polokwane

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Polokwane

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $959 in Polokwane, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Polokwane $959

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,417 in Polokwane, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Polokwane $1,417

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,875 in Polokwane, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Polokwane $1,875

Tbilisi costs about 32% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Polokwane are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Polokwane 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$12.24 R 202

-7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$29.66 R 489

31.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$7.46 R 123

29.09%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.38 R 39.26

45.38%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.77 R 12.68

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.88 R 14.47

-28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$1.68 R 27.65

64.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$1.88 R 30.95

64.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.32 R 21.71

70.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.08 R 17.82

-25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.70 R 28.03

3.53%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.65 R 43.69

3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$7.84 R 129

19.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$4.59 R 75.6

45.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$6.04 R 99.6

113.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.01 R 33.19

-16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.85 R 30.53

-2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.81 R 29.80

6.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$1.96 R 32.30

22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.67 R 27.49

-48.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.50 R 24.73

-54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.12 R 18.48

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.82 R 13.46

-13.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.68 R 44.22

30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$4.87 R 80.2

56.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.15 R 18.88

41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.61 R 26.54

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.92 R 15.22

-59.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$30.03 R 495

-47.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.87 R 14.41

31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.95 R 15.66

-16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$14.36 R 237

-17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.43 R 23.52

-2.10%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$26.1K R 430.1K

-5.04%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$28.5K R 469.0K

-23.22%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$138 R 2,281

-35.63%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$38.10 R 628

-65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$32.99 R 544

-40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$23.29 R 384

178.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$8.00 R 132

-17.87%

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

$377 ₾975

$179 R 2,946

110.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$1,452 R 23.9K

643.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$45.30 R 746

125.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$37.73 R 622

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$80.6 R 1,328

46.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$93.7 R 1,544

31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$290 R 4,785

129.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$203 R 3,338

121.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$420 R 6,922

205.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$284 R 4,683

213.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$1,343 R 22.1K

-49.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.91

15.67%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Polokwane

$203 21.1% 54.9% $247

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Polokwane

$185 19.3% 20.7% $48

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Polokwane

$168 17.5% 10.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Polokwane

$116 12.1% 32.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Polokwane

$210 21.8% 71.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 49.7% $39

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 76.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $290 in Polokwane. 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 98% higher in Polokwane, 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $30.00 in Polokwane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $185 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

628,999

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Polokwane 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Polokwane

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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 32% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,439 in Polokwane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Polokwane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $179 in Polokwane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Polokwane costs $959 versus $1,266 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Polokwane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.