Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Scalea Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Scalea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,535 in Scalea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $2,289 in Scalea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $3,043 in Scalea.

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 22% less than in Scalea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 10% below, Scalea is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$5.62 €4.92

92.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$68.2 €59.7

-35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$11.50 €10.07

-27.74%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$1.78 €1.56

66.85%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$2.49 €2.18

-69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$1.22 €1.07

-62.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$3.37 €2.95

-36.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$3.55 €3.11

-19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.35 €1.18

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$1.84 €1.61

-61.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$2.49 €2.18

-23.29%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$3.09 €2.71

-19.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$10.72 €9.39

-27.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$11.34 €9.93

-45.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$15.95 €13.97

-40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.67 €1.46

-29.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.60 €1.40

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$1.45 €1.27

27.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$1.75 €1.53

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.36 €1.19

-47.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$1.17 €1.03

-42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.91 €0.80

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.47 €0.41

40.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$6.85 €6.00

-57.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$7.86 €6.89

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.90 €1.67

-16.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.73 €1.51

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$1.73 €1.51

-78.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$43.45 €38.05

-66.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$6.82 €5.97

-78.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$1.02 €0.89

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$29.49 €25.83

-75.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$2.01 €1.76

-45.77%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$25.0K €21.9K

-25.50%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$25.6K €22.4K

-19.95%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$209 €183

-65.11%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$14.48 €12.68

-17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$38.46 €33.68

-53.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$55.7 €48.81

9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$22.82 €19.98

-27.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$9.06 €7.94

-26.05%

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

$269 ₾705

$445 €390

-39.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$7,043 €6,169

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$78.8 €69.1

-2.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$28.64 €25.08

51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$90.1 €78.9

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$113 €99.0

-2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$749 €656

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$589 €516

-20.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$1,207 €1,057

12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$943 €826

-16.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$1,444 €1,265

70.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,183 €1,036

23.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

4.59

159.04%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Scalea: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $749 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $68.0 in Scalea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $268 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Scalea differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $1,535 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,796 in Tbilisi and $2,302 in Scalea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Tbilisi versus $749 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $445 in Scalea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Scalea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,535 in Scalea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Scalea. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Scalea 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.