Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Side Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Side

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $1,074 in Side.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Tbilisi versus $1,658 in Side.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Tbilisi versus $2,242 in Side.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 13% more expensive than Side, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Side 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₾28.79

$7.82 ₺361

38.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 ₾117

$23.27 ₺1,073

89.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 ₾21.98

$6.17 ₺284

34.20%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₾8.01

$2.75 ₺127

9.82%

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

$0.76 ₾2.02

$1.76 ₺80.9

-56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.22

$0.47 ₺21.65

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾5.94

$3.08 ₺142

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.96

$4.11 ₺189

-27.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.12

$0.89 ₺41.21

116.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₾1.91

$0.93 ₺42.68

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.88

$0.93 ₺42.84

97.85%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.49

$1.77 ₺81.4

38.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₾19.70

$8.07 ₺372

-7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ₾17.19

$5.34 ₺246

21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.74

$16.56 ₺763

-41.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₾3.19

$1.00 ₺46.16

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₾4.15

$2.07 ₺95.3

-24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.76

$0.73 ₺33.70

145.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.91

$1.16 ₺53.5

92.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.73

$0.55 ₺25.51

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.80

$0.42 ₺19.44

61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.16

$1.26 ₺58.3

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.86

$0.34 ₺15.88

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₾7.83

$2.15 ₺99.1

37.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₾19.44

$13.15 ₺606

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.03

$1.71 ₺79.0

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.96

$2.06 ₺94.8

9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.62 ₺28.76

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.60 ₾38.74

$30.78 ₺1,419

-52.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.97

$1.05 ₺48.39

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.93

$0.66 ₺30.33

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾19.77

$7.80 ₺359

-4.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.01

$1.17 ₺54.1

-2.56%

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

$18.5K ₾49.1K

$40.9K ₺1.9M

-54.74%

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

$20.3K ₾53.7K

$41.4K ₺1.9M

-51.13%

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

$73.9 ₾196

$48.53 ₺2,237

52.24%

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

$11.71 ₾31.06

$7.95 ₺366

47.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.16 ₾48.16

$6.34 ₺292

186.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 ₾164

$43.32 ₺1,997

42.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₾44.18

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ₾17.53

$6.44 ₺297

2.64%

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

$264 ₾701

$607 ₺28.0K

-56.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,145 ₾13.6K

$8,932 ₺411.8K

-42.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 ₾199

$76.1 ₺3,509

-1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₾117

$44.64 ₺2,058

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾312

$158 ₺7,291

-25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾302

$113 ₺5,189

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₾1,836

$522 ₺24.0K

32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,204

$400 ₺18.5K

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 ₾3,509

$874 ₺40.3K

51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,092

$697 ₺32.1K

13.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,431 ₾6,450

$1,388 ₺64.0K

75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 ₾3,823

$1,040 ₺47.9K

38.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 ₾1,711

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

-40.55%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: June 9, 2026

Last update for Side: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Tbilisi and $522 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $23.00 in Side. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $206, with Tbilisi 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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,827 in Tbilisi and $1,611 in Side 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: $692 in Tbilisi versus $522 in Side. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Side – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Side versus $1,218 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Side the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Side is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.