Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ruwais

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,825 in Ruwais, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Ruwais
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Ruwais Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Ruwais

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ruwais

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,825 in Ruwais.

Tbilisi $1,269
Ruwais $1,825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $3,369 in Ruwais.

Tbilisi $2,016
Ruwais $3,369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $4,913 in Ruwais.

Tbilisi $2,763
Ruwais $4,913

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 30% less than in Ruwais, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Ruwais is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$9.31 AED 34.20

24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$55.1 AED 202

-31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$8.46 AED 31.08

14.18%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.69 AED 17.22

-23.88%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.70 AED 2.58

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.35 AED 1.29

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$8.28 AED 30.39

-68.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.72 AED 24.67

-54.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.76 AED 6.48

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.66 AED 6.09

-51.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.29 AED 8.40

-24.02%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.89 AED 10.62

-2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.33 AED 34.28

-0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$11.37 AED 41.77

-42.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.31 AED 34.18

39.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.87 AED 10.54

-41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.01 AED 7.39

-7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.93 AED 7.08

2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.88 AED 6.90

28.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.19 AED 4.37

-31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.28 AED 4.71

-42.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.80 AED 2.93

67.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.52 AED 1.90

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.31 AED 23.17

-43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$12.05 AED 44.26

-36.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.54 AED 9.31

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.78 AED 10.22

-13.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.15 AED 7.90

-81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$34.45 AED 127

-55.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.35 AED 8.64

-51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.14 AED 4.17

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$8.03 AED 29.51

47.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.85 AED 3.13

70.59%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$45.6K AED 167.3K

-46.06%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$21.9K AED 80.3K

2.20%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$114 AED 419

-22.13%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$48.60 AED 178

-73.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$96.7 AED 355

-79.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$58.0 AED 213

10.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$28.93 AED 106

-34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$13.58 AED 49.87

-47.57%

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

$375 ₾971

$570 AED 2,094

-34.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$7,432 AED 27.3K

40.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$43.54 AED 160

138.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$55.6 AED 204

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$70.1 AED 257

67.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$102 AED 375

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$811 AED 2,979

-14.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$823 AED 3,022

-45.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,854 AED 6,808

-26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$2,715 AED 9,971

-66.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$4,946 AED 18.2K

-53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,294 AED 8,424

-41.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$2,760 AED 10.1K

-75.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

152.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Ruwais

$823 45.1% 82.4% $372

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Ruwais

$269 14.8% 15% $35

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Ruwais

$215 11.8% 12.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Ruwais

$122 6.7% 29% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Ruwais

$259 14.2% 113% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ruwais

$85 4.7% 8.8% $6.9

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Ruwais

$51 2.8% 133% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $811 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $55 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $269 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇪 Ruwais

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

Same time as Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

25,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Ruwais 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ruwais

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 Ruwais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ruwais. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $811 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $570 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.