Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Popovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Popovo: $916 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Popovo
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Popovo Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Popovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Popovo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $916 in Popovo.

Tbilisi $1,278
Popovo $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $1,382 in Popovo.

Tbilisi $2,017
Popovo $1,382

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,848 in Popovo.

Tbilisi $2,755
Popovo $1,848

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 40% more expensive than in Popovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Popovo 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$8.60 BGN 15.04

35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$28.66 BGN 50.2

34.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$6.72 BGN 11.76

44.94%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$1.12 BGN 1.96

217.86%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.77 BGN 1.36

40.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$2.52 BGN 4.41

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$4.20 BGN 7.34

-25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.52 BGN 2.65

40.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.03 BGN 1.81

-27.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$2.22 BGN 3.89

-18.92%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$2.56 BGN 4.49

9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$6.97 BGN 12.20

35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$8.01 BGN 14.02

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$14.19 BGN 24.83

-10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$1.47 BGN 2.56

10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.45 BGN 2.54

26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.41 BGN 2.46

39.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$2.21 BGN 3.87

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.06 BGN 1.85

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.05 BGN 1.84

-36.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.22 BGN 2.14

15.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.70 BGN 1.23

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$4.05 BGN 7.08

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$6.31 BGN 11.05

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$0.88 BGN 1.55

93.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.03 BGN 3.56

16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

$25.79 BGN 45.13

-40.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.55 BGN 0.96

116.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.54 BGN 0.95

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$7.90 BGN 13.82

50.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-6.41%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$28.0K BGN 49.0K

-10.74%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$21.6K BGN 37.9K

5.55%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$113 BGN 197

-21.80%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$18.10 BGN 31.67

-29.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$15.58 BGN 27.26

27.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$19.80 BGN 34.65

224.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

$17.16 BGN 30.03

11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$6.12 BGN 10.71

8.66%

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

$371 ₾961

$509 BGN 892

-27.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$5,443 BGN 9,526

68.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$50.6 BGN 88.6

101.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$39.95 BGN 69.9

-0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$67.5 BGN 118

74.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$45.19 BGN 79.1

164.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$338 BGN 591

104.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$260 BGN 455

77.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

$554 BGN 970

145.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$403 BGN 705

122.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

$1,323 BGN 2,314

72.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

$1,083 BGN 1,896

27.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$1,266 BGN 2,215

-43.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

3.1

304.19%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Popovo: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Popovo

$260 28.4% 43.7% $201

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Popovo

$221 24.1% 6.2% $14

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Popovo

$133 14.5% 30.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Popovo

$91 10% 46.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Popovo

$146 16% 21.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Popovo

$32 3.5% 58.7% $46

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Popovo

$33 3.6% 50.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $338 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $29 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $221 per month, with Popovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇬 Popovo

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

15,878

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Popovo 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Popovo

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 Popovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popovo is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $338 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Popovo – a meal for two runs $29 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Popovo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.