Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shkoder

For one person, living is cheaper in Shkoder: $980 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Shkoder
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Shkoder Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Shkoder

🇦🇱 Albania

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Shkoder

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $980 in Shkoder, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Shkoder $980

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,474 in Shkoder, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Shkoder $1,474

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,969 in Shkoder, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Shkoder $1,969

Tbilisi costs about 29% more than Shkoder, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Shkoder are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Shkoder 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$9.30 ALL 755

25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$38.93 ALL 3,162

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$6.21 ALL 504

55.56%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.93 ALL 157

84.97%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.83 ALL 149

-40.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.65 ALL 52.7

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.84 ALL 149

42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$3.18 ALL 258

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.89 ALL 153

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.97 ALL 79.1

-17.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.01 ALL 164

-13.43%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.60 ALL 211

8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$7.23 ALL 587

28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.11 ALL 415

27.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.81 ALL 878

19.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.65 ALL 134

1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.35 ALL 191

-21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.72 ALL 139

14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.45 ALL 118

66.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.02 ALL 82.9

-19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.23 ALL 99.6

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.14 ALL 92.5

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.77 ALL 62.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.23 ALL 343

-15.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$6.14 ALL 499

24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.51 ALL 122

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.83 ALL 148

31.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.49 ALL 39.91

-18.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$11.12 ALL 903

36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.72 ALL 302

-69.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$3.85 ALL 313

-79.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$18.71 ALL 1,519

-36.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$2.17 ALL 177

-33.18%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

-26.99%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

-9.54%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$61.7 ALL 5,009

43.99%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$16.47 ALL 1,338

-20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$17.10 ALL 1,389

15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$42.68 ALL 3,467

50.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$12.53 ALL 1,018

51.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.20 ALL 585

-1.11%

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

$375 ₾971

$91.1 ALL 7,399

312.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$1,835 ALL 149.0K

470.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$49.16 ALL 3,992

110.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$12.34 ALL 1,002

218.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$74.0 ALL 6,008

58.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$147 ALL 11.9K

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$489 ALL 39.7K

42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$317 ALL 25.8K

42.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$484 ALL 39.3K

180.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$412 ALL 33.5K

119.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,866 ALL 151.6K

22.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,232 ALL 100.1K

9.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$567 ALL 46.0K

17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

152.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Shkoder

$317 32.4% 29.7% $134

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Shkoder

$206 21% 12% $28

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Shkoder

$142 14.5% 25.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Shkoder

$127 13% 26.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Shkoder

$95 9.7% 21.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Shkoder

$57 5.8% 27.1% $21

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Shkoder

$36 3.7% 64.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $489 in Shkoder. 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 17% 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 $38 in Tbilisi versus $39 in Shkoder. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $206 in Shkoder – so Shkoder wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇱 Shkoder

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

77,075

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 81.22 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.69 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Shkoder 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Shkoder

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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $980 in Shkoder – Shkoder comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,470 in Shkoder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shkoder, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $489 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $39 in Shkoder. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $980 in Shkoder. That makes Shkoder about 23% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shkoder, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Shkoder it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shkoder – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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