Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Pretoria

For one person, living costs are similar in Tbilisi and in Pretoria: $1,266 and $1,328 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Pretoria

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,328 in Pretoria, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Pretoria $1,328

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,017 in Pretoria, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Pretoria $2,017

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,707 in Pretoria, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Pretoria $2,707

Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tbilisi and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Pretoria 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$9.04 R 149

25.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$37.37 R 616

4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$5.28 R 87.0

82.39%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.33 R 38.34

48.50%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.09 R 17.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.89 R 14.72

-29.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.58 R 42.58

7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$3.24 R 53.5

-4.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.19 R 19.62

89.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.13 R 18.63

-29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.77 R 29.17

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.55 R 42.00

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$8.20 R 135

14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$4.82 R 79.5

38.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$7.45 R 123

73.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.71 R 28.22

-2.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.61 R 26.46

11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.78 R 29.30

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$1.62 R 26.66

48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.13 R 18.54

-23.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.18 R 19.39

-41.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.17 R 19.33

19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.33 R 21.97

-46.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$3.18 R 52.4

10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$5.01 R 82.6

51.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.59 R 26.28

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.92 R 31.65

20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$4.81 R 79.2

-92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$176 R 2,893

-91.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.31 R 5.19

267.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.75 R 12.40

5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$14.28 R 235

-16.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.52 R 25.03

-7.89%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$35.1K R 578.0K

-29.35%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$33.3K R 549.0K

-34.41%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$152 R 2,505

-41.38%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$36.95 R 609

-64.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$37.42 R 617

-47.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$31.33 R 516

107.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$10.27 R 169

85.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$7.46 R 123

-11.93%

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

$377 ₾975

$261 R 4,300

44.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$7,812 R 128.7K

38.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$53.8 R 886

89.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$31.62 R 521

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$94.0 R 1,549

25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$83.9 R 1,383

47.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$456 R 7,514

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$401 R 6,610

11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$981 R 16.2K

30.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$749 R 12.3K

18.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$875 R 14.4K

177.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$692 R 11.4K

99.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$1,420 R 23.4K

-52.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

11.34

11.29%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Pretoria

$401 30.2% 10.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Pretoria

$193 14.6% 17.3% $40

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Pretoria

$143 10.8% 23.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Pretoria

$119 8.9% 31.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Pretoria

$226 17.1% 85.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Pretoria

$46 3.5% 40.8% $32

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Pretoria

$199 15% 794% $177

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $456 in Pretoria. 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 109% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $37.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $193 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

741,651 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Pretoria 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Pretoria

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 Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,992 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1021% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $261 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Pretoria at $1,328. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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