Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem: $353 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Salem
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Salem Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Salem

🇮🇳 India

$353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Salem

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $353 in Salem, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Salem $353

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $561 in Salem, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Salem $561

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $768 in Salem, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Salem $768

Tbilisi costs about 259% more than Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Salem are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Salem 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$2.13 ₹202

446.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$7.27 ₹690

420.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$3.72 ₹353

159.68%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.26 ₹120

183.33%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.44 ₹41.80

145.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.17 ₹16.32

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.16 ₹205

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.76 ₹452

-36.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.54 ₹51.2

301.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.44 ₹42.18

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.55 ₹52.4

216.36%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$0.73 ₹69.8

287.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$4.96 ₹471

87.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$2.54 ₹242

156.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$2.03 ₹193

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.69 ₹66.0

168.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.42 ₹135

38.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.38 ₹35.66

536.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.38 ₹36.08

115.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.47 ₹44.41

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.25 ₹23.88

436.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.29 ₹27.50

165.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.02 ₹477

-28.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$3.02 ₹287

153.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.38 ₹131

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.11 ₹200

13.74%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.70 ₹351

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.22 ₹20.93

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$9.63 ₹915

58.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.02 ₹97.2

11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.11 ₹10.88

609.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$1.02 ₹97.1

1059.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.08 ₹102

34.26%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

115.92%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

18.10%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$53.4 ₹5,073

66.20%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$2.80 ₹266

368.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$9.95 ₹945

97.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$17.46 ₹1,658

266.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$9.44 ₹896

101.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$2.12 ₹202

235.85%

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

$375 ₾971

$53.7 ₹5,102

598.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$1,661 ₹157.7K

530.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$19.38 ₹1,840

434.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$14.28 ₹1,356

174.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$30.73 ₹2,917

281.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$26.95 ₹2,558

351.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$102 ₹9,730

578.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$58.0 ₹5,510

677.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$264 ₹25.1K

413.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$170 ₹16.1K

433.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,297 ₹123.1K

76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$431 ₹40.9K

211.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$345 ₹32.8K

92.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.4

21.35%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Salem: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Salem

$58 16.4% 87.1% $393

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Salem

$88 25% 62.3% $146

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Salem

$66 18.7% 65.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Salem

$41 11.6% 76.1% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Salem

$66 18.7% 45.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Salem

$22 6.1% 72.3% $57

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Salem

$12 3.4% 44.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $102 in Salem. 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 92% higher in Tbilisi, 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 $38 in Tbilisi versus $7 in Salem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $88 – making Salem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇳 Salem

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

831,038

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Salem 4,650 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Salem

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 Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $353 in Salem – Salem comes out roughly 72% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $530 in Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $102 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $353 in Salem. That makes Salem about 72% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Salem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Salem, where all-in costs run around $353, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Salem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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