Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Seoul $3,931

Tbilisi is about 29% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 6% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$8.80 ₩11.7K

28.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$68.4 ₩91.2K

-42.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$7.54 ₩10.1K

27.72%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$4.23 ₩5,644

-18.20%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.63 ₩2,175

-33.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.74 ₩988

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$3.64 ₩4,860

-23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$6.15 ₩8,203

-49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$2.01 ₩2,688

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$3.13 ₩4,178

-74.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$4.32 ₩5,764

-59.26%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.61 ₩4,810

-23.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$17.83 ₩23.8K

-47.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-36.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$25.80 ₩34.4K

-49.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-78.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$3.38 ₩4,514

-46.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$5.81 ₩7,750

-66.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$6.41 ₩8,549

-62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$3.75 ₩5,000

-77.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$2.54 ₩3,387

-72.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.84 ₩3,796

-50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.11 ₩1,477

-36.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$3.35 ₩4,470

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$18.49 ₩24.7K

-58.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.40 ₩3,196

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$3.37 ₩4,495

-31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.14 ₩1,526

-67.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$46.11 ₩61.5K

-66.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.49 ₩4,660

-67.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.63 ₩843

25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$8.86 ₩11.8K

33.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.51 ₩2,012

-7.28%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$29.3K ₩39.1M

-15.31%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$28.2K ₩37.6M

-22.52%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$218 ₩290.2K

-59.03%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$35.15 ₩46.9K

-62.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$21.29 ₩28.4K

-7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$58.1 ₩77.5K

11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$16.10 ₩21.5K

18.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-41.91%

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

$377 ₾975

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$22.9K ₩30.5M

-52.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$57.0 ₩76.1K

79.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$33.39 ₩44.5K

18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$71.5 ₩95.4K

64.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$82.5 ₩110.1K

49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$901 ₩1.2M

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$612 ₩816.3K

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-49.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-29.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$29.4K ₩39.3M

-91.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-88.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-81.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.08

209.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 36.2% $163

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 104% $243

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 2.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 36.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 124% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 3.4% $2.6

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 158% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $901 in Seoul. 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 437% higher in Seoul, 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $477 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

5 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Seoul 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 42% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 194% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,266 versus $1,794 in Seoul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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