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: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $777 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $1,231 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,685 in Smolyan.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 53% more expensive than Smolyan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Smolyan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$6.62 BGN 11.06

68.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$37.99 BGN 63.5

13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$5.78 BGN 9.65

42.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$1.37 BGN 2.28

128.47%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$1.30 BGN 2.17

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$1.05 BGN 1.76

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$1.74 BGN 2.90

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$2.16 BGN 3.61

38.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.81 BGN 3.02

4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.96 BGN 1.60

-23.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.73 BGN 2.89

6.94%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$3.64 BGN 6.08

-32.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$10.52 BGN 17.56

-25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$5.98 BGN 9.99

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$9.10 BGN 15.20

7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$1.22 BGN 2.03

-0.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.80 BGN 3.01

-11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$1.15 BGN 1.92

55.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$2.43 BGN 4.05

-4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$1.16 BGN 1.93

-38.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$1.43 BGN 2.39

-53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$1.19 BGN 1.99

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.58 BGN 0.97

22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$3.59 BGN 6.00

-18.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$5.89 BGN 9.84

23.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$0.57 BGN 0.95

171.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$1.67 BGN 2.78

38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$0.97 BGN 1.63

-60.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

$34.28 BGN 57.2

-56.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$1.17 BGN 1.95

26.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.51 BGN 0.85

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$12.01 BGN 20.05

-37.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$1.50 BGN 2.51

-23.33%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$23.7K BGN 39.6K

-24.16%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$24.4K BGN 40.8K

-18.86%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$120 BGN 201

-38.98%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$16.25 BGN 27.14

-28.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$9.26 BGN 15.47

91.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$22.30 BGN 37.24

171.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

$15.00 BGN 25.05

9.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$7.01 BGN 11.70

-7.13%

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

$263 ₾707

$318 BGN 532

-17.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$5,509 BGN 9,200

-6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$30.08 BGN 50.2

158.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$22.09 BGN 36.89

100.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$62.8 BGN 105

87.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$65.5 BGN 109

74.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$203 BGN 339

241.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$145 BGN 243

217.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$297 BGN 495

350.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$252 BGN 420

209.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$1,398 BGN 2,334

81.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$1,109 BGN 1,852

28.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$706 BGN 1,180

-10.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

4.5

164.22%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $203 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Smolyan pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $38.00 in Smolyan. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $208, 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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Smolyan earns 12% less. 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $203 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Tbilisi versus $318 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $777 in Smolyan versus $1,185 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 53% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.