Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shimla Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shimla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,199 per month in Tbilisi vs $337 in Shimla, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,833 per month in Tbilisi vs $539 in Shimla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,466 per month in Tbilisi vs $742 in Shimla, rent included.

Tbilisi costs about 256% more than Shimla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tbilisi and Shimla are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Tbilisi 11% lower, Shimla 75% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 โ‚พ29.20
$1.78 โ‚น167
510.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.33 โ‚พ117
$5.90 โ‚น554
634.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.25 โ‚พ22.19
$3.56 โ‚น334
131.74%
Cappuccino
$3.10 โ‚พ8.33
$0.93 โ‚น87.2
233.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 โ‚พ2.15
$0.31 โ‚น29.53
158.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 โ‚พ1.24
$0.15 โ‚น14.11
206.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 โ‚พ5.81
$1.62 โ‚น152
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 โ‚พ7.92
$2.30 โ‚น216
27.83%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 โ‚พ5.19
$0.75 โ‚น70.7
157.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.67 โ‚พ1.81
$0.44 โ‚น41.38
52.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 โ‚พ4.91
$0.64 โ‚น59.8
184.38%
Eggs
$2.56 โ‚พ6.88
$0.86 โ‚น80.3
197.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.61 โ‚พ20.48
$4.36 โ‚น409
74.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 โ‚พ17.50
$3.70 โ‚น347
75.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.67 โ‚พ26.00
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.16 โ‚พ3.12
$1.97 โ‚น185
-41.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 โ‚พ4.36
$0.70 โ‚น65.5
131.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 โ‚พ5.04
$0.82 โ‚น76.7
128.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 โ‚พ6.26
$0.56 โ‚น52.3
316.07%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 โ‚พ1.75
$0.35 โ‚น32.54
85.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 โ‚พ1.70
$0.44 โ‚น41.34
43.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 โ‚พ3.17
$0.22 โ‚น20.63
436.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 โ‚พ1.90
$0.34 โ‚น31.54
105.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.04 โ‚พ8.17
$4.46 โ‚น418
-31.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.27 โ‚พ19.56
$5.26 โ‚น494
38.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 โ‚พ4.27
$1.69 โ‚น159
-5.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 โ‚พ6.18
$2.25 โ‚น211
2.22%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.91 โ‚น555
-
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 โ‚พ0.96
$0.22 โ‚น20.53
63.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.68 โ‚พ39.48
$8.78 โ‚น824
67.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.50 โ‚พ4.03
$0.83 โ‚น77.8
80.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 โ‚พ1.87
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.35 โ‚พ19.78
$1.18 โ‚น110
522.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 โ‚พ3.05
$1.19 โ‚น111
-5.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.2K โ‚พ49.0K
$15.0K โ‚น1.4M
21.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.2K โ‚พ54.5K
$19.7K โ‚น1.8M
2.85%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$74.0 โ‚พ199
$19.05 โ‚น1,788
288.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.87 โ‚พ31.93
$3.45 โ‚น324
244.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.55 โ‚พ47.20
$7.69 โ‚น721
128.22%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.3 โ‚พ162
$14.60 โ‚น1,370
313.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.69 โ‚พ44.89
$7.20 โ‚น676
131.81%
Cinema Ticket
$6.73 โ‚พ18.10
$3.44 โ‚น323
95.64%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 โ‚พ703
$46.07 โ‚น4,324
467.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,146 โ‚พ13.8K
$2,352 โ‚น220.8K
118.79%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.6 โ‚พ209
$33.31 โ‚น3,127
132.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.48 โ‚พ117
$28.80 โ‚น2,704
50.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 โ‚พ318
$46.18 โ‚น4,334
156.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 โ‚พ298
$29.10 โ‚น2,731
280.96%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$703 โ‚พ1,891
$94.6 โ‚น8,878
643.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$457 โ‚พ1,231
$58.3 โ‚น5,467
685.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 โ‚พ3,621
$223 โ‚น20.9K
504.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$788 โ‚พ2,120
$138 โ‚น13.0K
470.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,560 โ‚พ6,885
$955 โ‚น89.6K
167.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,443 โ‚พ3,881
$515 โ‚น48.3K
180.33%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Shimla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 โ‚พ1,742
$577 โ‚น54.1K
12.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.89
8.25
44.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tbilisi: April 21, 2026

Last update for Shimla: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $703 in Tbilisi versus $95 in Shimla. 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 12% 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 $43 in Tbilisi versus $6 in Shimla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $100 โ€“ making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and Shimla compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,199 in Tbilisi, $337 in Shimla โ€“ roughly 256% apart. Tbilisi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Shimla?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,799 per month in Tbilisi and $506 in Shimla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Shimla?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Tbilisi and $6.00 in Shimla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and cafรฉ pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Shimla?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,199 in Tbilisi and $337 in Shimla. The difference isn't just one category โ€“ it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shimla, where all-in costs run around $337, than in Tbilisi at $1,199. In Shimla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Shimla?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $337 in Shimla to $1,199 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tbilisi or Shimla safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Shimla?
If budget matters most, go with Shimla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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