Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Soweto

For one person, living is cheaper in Soweto: $1,106 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Soweto
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Soweto Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Soweto

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Soweto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,106 in Soweto.

Tbilisi $1,269
Soweto $1,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,704 in Soweto.

Tbilisi $2,016
Soweto $1,704

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $2,302 in Soweto.

Tbilisi $2,763
Soweto $2,302

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 15% more expensive than in Soweto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Soweto 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$8.94 R 148

30.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$36.84 R 612

2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.20 R 86.4

85.77%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.21 R 36.64

61.54%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.04 R 17.35

3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.80 R 13.35

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.45 R 40.76

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.81 R 46.71

8.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.16 R 19.29

87.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.11 R 18.43

-27.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.80 R 29.92

-3.33%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.51 R 41.74

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$8.68 R 144

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.08 R 84.4

28.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$7.35 R 122

76.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$1.72 R 28.62

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.67 R 27.70

10.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.74 R 28.86

13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.57 R 26.04

54.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.13 R 18.82

-27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.20 R 19.88

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.25 R 20.69

7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.26 R 20.99

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.32 R 55.2

7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$5.02 R 83.3

52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.60 R 26.53

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.91 R 31.73

25.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.53 R 25.46

-73.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.29 R 4.79

293.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.76 R 12.55

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$14.33 R 238

-17.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.58 R 26.22

-8.23%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$36.5K R 607.0K

-32.75%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$34.2K R 568.6K

-34.75%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$152 R 2,518

-41.42%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$37.05 R 615

-64.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$37.83 R 628

-48.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$32.60 R 541

96.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$10.87 R 181

75.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.35 R 122

-3.13%

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

$375 ₾971

$251 R 4,163

49.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,490 R 91.2K

90.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$54.2 R 900

91.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$32.08 R 533

22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$92.5 R 1,536

26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$83.7 R 1,390

45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$388 R 6,445

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$371 R 6,155

21.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$732 R 12.2K

85.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$734 R 12.2K

23.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$860 R 14.3K

166.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$696 R 11.6K

93.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

10.91

15.67%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Soweto: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Soweto

$371 33.5% 17.9% $81

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Soweto

$195 17.6% 16.8% $39

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Soweto

$139 12.6% 27.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Soweto

$118 10.7% 31.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Soweto

$226 20.5% 86.2% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Soweto

$47 4.3% 39.6% $31

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Soweto

$10 * 0.9% 53.4% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $388 in Soweto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $37 in Soweto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $195 per month, with Soweto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Soweto

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,270,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.54 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Soweto 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Soweto

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 Soweto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soweto wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Soweto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $1,659 in Soweto 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $388 in Soweto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $251 in Soweto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Soweto – a meal for two runs $37 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Soweto is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.