Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Rustavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustavi: $848 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Rustavi
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Rustavi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Rustavi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Rustavi

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $848 in Rustavi, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Rustavi $848

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,263 in Rustavi, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Rustavi $1,263

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,679 in Rustavi, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Rustavi $1,679

Tbilisi costs about 51% more than Rustavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Rustavi are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Rustavi 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$10.20 ₾26.38

13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$30.57 ₾79.1

25.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$10.62 ₾27.48

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$1.99 ₾5.15

78.89%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.75 ₾1.95

44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.51 ₾1.32

9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.24 ₾3.20

120.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$1.98 ₾5.13

58.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.73 ₾4.48

23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.51 ₾1.31

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.22 ₾3.15

47.54%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$2.34 ₾6.06

19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$5.97 ₾15.44

57.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$4.89 ₾12.66

43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$9.70 ₾25.10

30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$0.98 ₾2.54

66.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.60 ₾4.14

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.50 ₾3.88

31.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.09 ₾2.81

126.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.77 ₾1.98

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.66 ₾1.70

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.26 ₾3.27

11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.70 ₾1.81

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$3.22 ₾8.32

9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$3.78 ₾9.77

108.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.58 ₾4.10

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.52 ₾6.52

-5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.37 ₾0.95

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$11.35 ₾29.35

34.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.73 ₾1.90

63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.37 ₾0.97

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$3.92 ₾10.13

203.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.27 ₾3.28

14.96%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$23.5K ₾60.8K

6.32%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$9,645 ₾25.0K

136.69%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$77.0 ₾199

14.47%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$7.84 ₾20.28

62.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$11.51 ₾29.78

71.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$27.33 ₾70.7

135.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$19.31 ₾49.97

-0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.78 ₾12.37

39.12%

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

$371 ₾961

$130 ₾337

184.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$2,684 ₾6,946

241.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$57.1 ₾148

78.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$40.57 ₾105

-2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$95.4 ₾247

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$85.7 ₾222

39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$275 ₾712

150.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$250 ₾646

84.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$463 ₾1,197

194.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$308 ₾796

191.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$1,037 ₾2,684

119.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$776 ₾2,008

77.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$447 ₾1,156

58.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

-3.62%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rustavi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Rustavi

$250 29.4% 45.8% $211

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Rustavi

$172 20.2% 27% $64

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Rustavi

$153 18% 20.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Rustavi

$125 14.8% 26.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Rustavi

$96 11.4% 20.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Rustavi

$37 4.4% 52.5% $41

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Rustavi

$15 1.8% 28.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $275 in Rustavi. 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 59% higher in Tbilisi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $31 in Rustavi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $172 – making Rustavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Rustavi

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

Same time as Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

132,333

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tbilisi Rustavi 24 km

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Tbilisi
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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 Rustavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi, $848 in Rustavi – Rustavi comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $1,272 in Rustavi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rustavi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $31 in Rustavi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $848 in Rustavi. That makes Rustavi about 34% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Rustavi, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Rustavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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