Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sandton Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sandton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,109 in Sandton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,740 in Sandton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $2,371 in Sandton.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sandton, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Sandton 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$10.89 R 180

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$44.10 R 728

-0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$4.84 R 79.8

71.69%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.11 R 34.85

40.76%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.07 R 17.61

-28.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.81 R 13.43

-43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$2.27 R 37.54

-5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$2.47 R 40.82

16.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.15 R 18.95

65.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$1.05 R 17.38

-32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.56 R 25.81

22.44%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$2.47 R 40.79

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$7.88 R 130

-1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.54 R 75.0

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$6.89 R 114

38.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.68 R 27.80

-30.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.54 R 25.46

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$1.61 R 26.55

14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$1.68 R 27.71

38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.38 R 22.72

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$1.44 R 23.76

-53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$1.09 R 18.00

9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.93 R 15.27

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$2.82 R 46.59

3.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$5.90 R 97.4

30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.35 R 22.21

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.59 R 26.28

45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$1.66 R 27.46

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.15 R 19.01

30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.89 R 14.72

-23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$3.15 R 52.0

130.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$1.26 R 20.73

-13.49%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$22.5K R 370.7K

-17.16%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$23.9K R 394.3K

-14.33%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$116 R 1,919

-37.23%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$37.95 R 626

-68.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$42.95 R 709

-58.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$42.13 R 695

44.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$7.23 R 119

-7.33%

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

$269 ₾705

$196 R 3,235

37.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$4,964 R 81.9K

3.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$50.2 R 828

52.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$33.80 R 558

28.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$92.4 R 1,526

30.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$87.5 R 1,444

26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$397 R 6,544

73.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$379 R 6,252

24.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$683 R 11.3K

98.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$809 R 13.3K

-2.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$786 R 13.0K

214.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$689 R 11.4K

111.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$2,283 R 37.7K

-71.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

11.51

3.30%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sandton: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $397 in Sandton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandton pays 246% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $44.00 in Sandton. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $182, with Sandton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sandton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandton wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sandton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 246% lower in Sandton. 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: $687 in Tbilisi versus $397 in Sandton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $196 in Sandton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sandton – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Sandton versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sandton but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Sandton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sandton delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,109 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sandton hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Sandton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sandton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.