Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Smolyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Smolyan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Tbilisi versus $736 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,025 in Tbilisi versus $1,181 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Tbilisi versus $1,625 in Smolyan.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 69% more expensive than in Smolyan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Smolyan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 ₾29.44

$6.45 BGN 10.73

75.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.71 ₾101

$38.80 BGN 64.6

-0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 ₾24.72

$5.77 BGN 9.59

64.99%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₾8.85

$1.36 BGN 2.26

150.74%

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

$1.04 ₾2.71

$1.07 BGN 1.79

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₾1.66

$0.76 BGN 1.27

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ₾6.79

$1.75 BGN 2.92

49.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₾8.43

$2.24 BGN 3.72

44.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.65

$1.68 BGN 2.80

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.92

$0.96 BGN 1.60

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₾4.45

$1.79 BGN 2.98

-4.47%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.36

$3.39 BGN 5.64

-16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 ₾23.94

$9.10 BGN 15.13

1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ₾17.55

$5.84 BGN 9.72

15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 ₾33.16

$8.77 BGN 14.60

45.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.26

$1.17 BGN 1.94

40.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₾4.60

$1.82 BGN 3.03

-2.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₾4.85

$1.21 BGN 2.02

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ₾6.34

$2.42 BGN 4.03

0.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.25

$1.19 BGN 1.98

-26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$1.40 BGN 2.34

-53.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.63

$0.96 BGN 1.60

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.61 BGN 1.01

21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₾8.86

$3.50 BGN 5.82

-2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ₾19.75

$5.76 BGN 9.58

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$0.58 BGN 0.96

193.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.19

$1.76 BGN 2.93

35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.94

$0.95 BGN 1.59

-62.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.24 ₾39.59

$33.79 BGN 56.2

-54.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₾3.07

$1.36 BGN 2.27

-13.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₾1.97

$0.60 BGN 1.00

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.34 ₾29.46

$12.24 BGN 20.36

-7.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₾3.46

$1.58 BGN 2.63

-15.82%

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

$24.7K ₾64.2K

$23.5K BGN 39.1K

5.20%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$23.2K BGN 38.5K

-4.91%

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

$88.9 ₾231

$108 BGN 180

-17.77%

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

$13.33 ₾34.62

$15.20 BGN 25.29

-12.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ₾52.3

$9.59 BGN 15.96

109.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₾178

$22.33 BGN 37.15

207.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₾46.99

$17.52 BGN 29.15

3.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ₾17.45

$7.85 BGN 13.06

-14.39%

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

$374 ₾970

$233 BGN 388

60.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.8K

$6,090 BGN 10.1K

75.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₾263

$29.68 BGN 49.37

241.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 ₾102

$22.28 BGN 37.06

76.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$62.7 BGN 104

87.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$65.1 BGN 108

87.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ₾1,772

$203 BGN 337

236.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,186

$147 BGN 245

209.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 ₾3,384

$292 BGN 485

346.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 ₾2,336

$253 BGN 421

255.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 ₾6,363

$1,376 BGN 2,290

77.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,452 ₾3,773

$1,108 BGN 1,843

31.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 ₾1,694

$720 BGN 1,198

-9.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.25

288.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: September 13, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $682 in Tbilisi and $203 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Smolyan pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $39.00 in Smolyan. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $199, with Smolyan 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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Smolyan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $682 in Tbilisi versus $203 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Tbilisi versus $233 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Smolyan versus $1,247 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Smolyan 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 Smolyan 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 Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.