Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Polonnaruwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $510 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Polonnaruwa
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$510
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Polonnaruwa

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $510 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,278
  • Polonnaruwa $510

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $829 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,017
  • Polonnaruwa $829

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,148 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,755
  • Polonnaruwa $1,148

Tbilisi costs about 151% more than Polonnaruwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Polonnaruwa are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Polonnaruwa 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 ₾30.07
$3.89 LKR 1,294
198.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.41 ₾99.4
$25.28 LKR 8,410
51.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 ₾25.20
$7.32 LKR 2,435
33.06%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ₾9.21
$2.56 LKR 850
39.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.80
$0.69 LKR 228
56.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.46
$0.27 LKR 89.8
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 ₾7.05
$2.17 LKR 721
25.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ₾8.09
$2.98 LKR 990
5.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ₾5.55
$1.58 LKR 526
35.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$0.54 LKR 178
38.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.66
$0.81 LKR 269
122.22%
Eggs
$2.80 ₾7.25
$1.70 LKR 567
64.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 ₾24.41
$15.24 LKR 5,069
-38.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.00 ₾18.10
$4.93 LKR 1,639
41.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 ₾32.83
$7.66 LKR 2,547
65.67%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 ₾4.22
$6.48 LKR 2,156
-74.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.77
$0.81 LKR 269
127.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.09
$4.25 LKR 1,414
-53.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₾6.39
$1.27 LKR 423
94.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₾1.95
$1.04 LKR 345
-27.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 ₾1.74
$0.77 LKR 255
-12.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 ₾3.66
$1.26 LKR 419
11.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.86
$0.42 LKR 139
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$10.10 LKR 3,358
-65.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 ₾20.40
$13.57 LKR 4,513
-41.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.41
$1.87 LKR 622
-9.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 ₾6.12
$2.98 LKR 990
-20.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 ₾0.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.29 ₾39.56
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$0.37 LKR 124
221.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.31 LKR 102
138.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.89 ₾30.76
$0.86 LKR 285
1282.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 ₾3.77
$1.32 LKR 439
10.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K ₾64.6K
$44.4K LKR 14.8M
-43.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ₾59.1K
$45.5K LKR 15.1M
-49.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.1 ₾228
$58.0 LKR 19.3K
52.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.71 ₾32.87
$4.27 LKR 1,419
197.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.79 ₾51.2
$20.36 LKR 6,772
-2.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.3 ₾166
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ₾17.20
$4.60 LKR 1,532
44.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$371 ₾961
$40.23 LKR 13.4K
822.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,163 ₾23.7K
$17.1K LKR 5.7M
-46.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾264
$18.01 LKR 5,989
467.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.65 ₾103
$17.32 LKR 5,761
128.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾306
$78.8 LKR 26.2K
49.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₾310
$41.05 LKR 13.7K
191.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$690 ₾1,784
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$461 ₾1,193
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,362 ₾3,523
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$897 ₾2,321
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,277 ₾5,891
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,378 ₾3,564
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Polonnaruwa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 ₾1,836
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.53
12.5
0.24%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$461
Polonnaruwa
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$235
Polonnaruwa
$242 3.1% $7.3
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Polonnaruwa
$104 45.5% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Polonnaruwa
$70 59.1% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Polonnaruwa
$83 31.5% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Polonnaruwa
$9.2 * 88.1% $68
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Polonnaruwa
$1.9 * 91.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $25 in Polonnaruwa. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Tbilisi vs $242 in Polonnaruwa – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa
🕒 Local time
12:44 12:44 PM
14:14 2:14 PM
1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
15,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Polonnaruwa 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Polonnaruwa

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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Polonnaruwa?
Tbilisi costs about 151% more than Polonnaruwa, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Tbilisi and in Polonnaruwa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $765 in Polonnaruwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Tbilisi compared to Polonnaruwa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $510 in Polonnaruwa. That makes Polonnaruwa about 60% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Tbilisi and in Polonnaruwa?
Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $40 in Polonnaruwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Tbilisi or in Polonnaruwa?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Polonnaruwa, where all-in costs run around $510, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Polonnaruwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tbilisi or Polonnaruwa?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $510 in Polonnaruwa to $1,278 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Polonnaruwa?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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