Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sa Pa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sa Pa: $734 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Sa Pa
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Sa Pa Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sa Pa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Sa Pa

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $734 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Sa Pa $734

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,169 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Sa Pa $1,169

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,604 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Sa Pa $1,604

Tbilisi costs about 74% more than Sa Pa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Sa Pa are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Sa Pa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$1.89 ₫48.7K

514.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$21.13 ₫544.5K

81.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$4.71 ₫121.4K

106.79%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$1.75 ₫45.2K

103.43%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.50 ₫13.0K

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.28 ₫7,202

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.00 ₫25.7K

173.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$1.53 ₫39.3K

104.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.42 ₫36.5K

50.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.99 ₫25.5K

-24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.99 ₫25.5K

81.82%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.40 ₫36.1K

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$11.73 ₫302.2K

-19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$3.73 ₫96.1K

87.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$9.90 ₫254.9K

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$2.67 ₫68.8K

-38.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.02 ₫26.3K

80.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.28 ₫33.0K

53.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.13 ₫29.0K

118.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.07 ₫27.5K

-29.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.06 ₫27.3K

-36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.70 ₫18.1K

101.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.52 ₫13.4K

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$1.31 ₫33.8K

167.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$11.35 ₫292.5K

-30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$0.80 ₫20.7K

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.63 ₫42.0K

45.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.31 ₫8,109

22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

$6.43 ₫165.6K

137.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.66 ₫17.0K

80.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.62 ₫15.9K

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$2.82 ₫72.7K

321.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.91 ₫23.4K

60.44%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$34.5K ₫887.5M

-27.48%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$31.6K ₫813.0M

-27.66%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$75.6 ₫1.9M

16.57%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$5.90 ₫151.9K

115.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$8.96 ₫230.7K

120.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$21.79 ₫561.3K

195.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

$7.71 ₫198.7K

148.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$3.08 ₫79.4K

115.91%

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

$371 ₾961

$264 ₫6.8M

40.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$11.7K ₫302.1M

-21.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$40.73 ₫1.0M

150.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$23.04 ₫593.4K

72.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$85.1 ₫2.2M

38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$75.3 ₫1.9M

58.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$365 ₫9.4M

88.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$250 ₫6.4M

84.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

$738 ₫19.0M

84.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$531 ₫13.7M

68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

$2,073 ₫53.4M

9.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

$1,246 ₫32.1M

10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

9.1

37.69%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sa Pa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Sa Pa

$250 34.1% 45.8% $211

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Sa Pa

$192 26.1% 18.4% $43

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Sa Pa

$61 8.4% 67.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Sa Pa

$101 13.8% 40.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Sa Pa

$90 12.3% 25% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Sa Pa

$28 3.8% 64% $50

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Sa Pa

$11 1.6% 47.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $365 in Sa Pa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $21 in Sa Pa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $192 – making Sa Pa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇻🇳 Sa Pa

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

3 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

22,882

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, 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).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Sa Pa 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Sa Pa

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 Sa Pa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $1,101 in Sa Pa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sa Pa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $365 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $21 in Sa Pa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sa Pa, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Sa Pa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sa Pa – 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.

For expats, Sa Pa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.