Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sanandaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanandaj: $403 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
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Sanandaj Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Sanandaj

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $403 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Sanandaj $403

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $666 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Sanandaj $666

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $929 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Sanandaj $929

Tbilisi costs about 217% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Sanandaj are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Sanandaj 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.06

$3.20 $3.20

263.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.3

$16.15 $16.15

137.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.18

$4.01 $4.01

142.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$1.02 $1.02

249.02%

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

$1.08 ₾2.79

$0.63 $0.63

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$1.02 $1.02

-45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.08

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.54

$0.75 $0.75

185.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.68 $0.68

10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.97 $1.97

-8.63%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$0.99 $0.99

182.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.39

$4.49 $4.49

110.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.09

$2.82 $2.82

148.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.82

$10.10 $10.10

25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.09 $1.09

49.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.47 $1.47

25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$0.89 $0.89

121.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.38

$0.72 $0.72

243.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.73 $0.73

2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.77 $0.77

-12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.62 $0.62

127.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.33 $0.33

118.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.55 $2.55

37.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.13 $0.13

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.54

$9.70 $9.70

57.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.39 $0.39

205.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.29 $0.29

155.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.75

$2.58 $2.58

360.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.09 $0.09

1522.22%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$50.0K $50.0K

-50.07%

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

$22.8K ₾59.0K

$46.4K $46.4K

-50.84%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$10.14 $10.14

769.13%

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

$12.71 ₾32.85

$2.94 $2.94

332.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$3.95 $3.95

401.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$5.97 $5.97

977.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.57

$13.64 $13.64

40.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.19

$1.02 $1.02

551.96%

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

$371 ₾960

$107 $107

247.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$2,390 $2,390

283.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$15.96 $15.96

540.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$28.18 $28.18

40.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$63.5 $63.5

85.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$72.7 $72.7

64.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$156 $156

342.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$113 $113

309.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,522

$333 $333

308.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,320

$199 $199

351.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,888

$800 $800

184.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,562

$287 $287

380.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$252 $252

181.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

-43.05%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Sanandaj

$113 28% 75.6% $348

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Sanandaj

$116 28.7% 50.9% $120

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Sanandaj

$56 14% 70.5% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Sanandaj

$81 20.1% 52.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Sanandaj

$17 4.2% 85.9% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Sanandaj

$8 2% 89.7% $70

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Sanandaj

$12 3% 44.5% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $156 in Sanandaj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tbilisi are about 2.8 times higher, 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 $16 in Sanandaj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $116 – making Sanandaj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

30 min behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

412,767

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Sanandaj 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Sanandaj

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 Sanandaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 217% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $604 in Sanandaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanandaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $403 in Sanandaj. That makes Sanandaj about 68% cheaper.

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

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sanandaj, where all-in costs run around $403, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Sanandaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanandaj – 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 Sanandaj. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.