Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Poltava

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $786 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
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Poltava Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Poltava

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $786 in Poltava.

Tbilisi $1,269
Poltava $786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,005 in Poltava.

Tbilisi $2,016
Poltava $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,225 in Poltava.

Tbilisi $2,763
Poltava $1,225

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 62% more expensive than in Poltava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Poltava 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.06

$5.39 ₴246

115.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$32.94 ₴1,502

14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$7.71 ₴352

25.29%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.70 ₴77.7

110.00%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.72 ₴32.82

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.54 ₴24.48

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$0.95 ₴43.52

175.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.99 ₴90.9

52.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.12 ₴50.9

93.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.75 ₴34.29

6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.44 ₴65.4

20.83%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.04 ₴93.0

38.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.55 ₴435

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.28 ₴241

23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.49

$6.50 ₴296

99.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.21 ₴55.3

38.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.49 ₴67.8

24.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.78 ₴81.0

10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.34 ₴60.9

80.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.42 ₴19.22

95.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.27 ₴12.44

174.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.44 ₴65.5

-6.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.61 ₴27.77

26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.23

$3.30 ₴150

8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.81 ₴219

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.79 ₴36.02

115.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.36 ₴62.1

76.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.47 ₴21.35

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$29.07 ₴1,326

-47.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.16 ₴98.4

-47.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.45 ₴20.70

73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$4.68 ₴214

152.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.42 ₴64.7

2.11%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$30.1K ₴1.4M

-18.31%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$24.4K ₴1.1M

-8.49%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$60.6 ₴2,764

46.53%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$4.97 ₴227

163.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$4.66 ₴212

322.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$28.05 ₴1,279

128.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.23

$7.30 ₴333

160.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$3.00 ₴137

137.33%

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

$375 ₾971

$279 ₴12.7K

34.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$14.8K ₴673.7K

-29.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$62.4 ₴2,847

66.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$39.59 ₴1,805

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$64.5 ₴2,940

82.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$84.3 ₴3,842

44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$303 ₴13.8K

129.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$265 ₴12.1K

69.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,202 ₴54.8K

90.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,477

$826 ₴37.7K

62.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$416 ₴19.0K

59.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

17.88

-29.42%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Poltava

$265 33.8% 41.2% $186

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Poltava

$167 21.3% 28.6% $67

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Poltava

$101 12.8% 47.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Poltava

$113 14.4% 34.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Poltava

$70 8.9% 42.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Poltava

$34 4.3% 56.5% $44

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Poltava

$35 4.5% 61.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $303 in Poltava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 60% 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 $33 in Poltava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $167 per month, with Poltava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇦 Poltava

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

18:24 6:24 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

297,600

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 UAH = 2.19 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 45.6 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 50.89 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Poltava 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Poltava

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 Poltava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poltava wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Poltava the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $303 in Poltava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $786 in Poltava – Poltava is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 48% less than in Poltava. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Poltava are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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