Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Soweto Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Soweto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $1,128 in Soweto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Tbilisi versus $1,739 in Soweto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Tbilisi versus $2,350 in Soweto.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 13% more expensive than in Soweto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Soweto 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 ₾29.72

$9.13 R 148

25.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.16 ₾99.2

$38.99 R 631

-2.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 ₾24.45

$5.52 R 89.2

70.29%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ₾8.78

$2.36 R 38.21

43.22%

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

$1.04 ₾2.70

$1.07 R 17.35

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₾1.56

$0.93 R 15.01

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ₾7.05

$2.22 R 35.88

22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.90

$2.89 R 46.80

5.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₾5.90

$1.20 R 19.40

89.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₾2.04

$1.12 R 18.06

-29.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₾4.21

$1.84 R 29.72

-11.96%

Eggs

$2.74 ₾7.13

$2.63 R 42.56

4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 ₾24.19

$8.20 R 133

13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 ₾17.65

$5.18 R 83.8

31.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 ₾33.84

$7.35 R 119

77.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.27

$1.87 R 30.29

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₾4.77

$1.74 R 28.19

5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₾4.94

$1.86 R 30.02

2.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ₾6.68

$1.61 R 26.11

59.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.19

$1.22 R 19.79

-31.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$1.24 R 20.09

-47.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₾3.54

$1.22 R 19.77

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.36 R 22.00

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₾8.85

$3.32 R 53.7

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.94

$5.13 R 83.0

49.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₾4.36

$1.58 R 25.52

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.18

$1.99 R 32.26

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₾1.02

$1.54 R 24.93

-74.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₾40.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.96

$0.30 R 4.81

280.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.78 R 12.58

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 ₾29.42

$15.26 R 247

-25.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₾3.60

$1.57 R 25.37

-12.10%

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

$24.6K ₾63.9K

$36.8K R 595.5K

-33.23%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$32.4K R 524.5K

-32.16%

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

$88.7 ₾231

$156 R 2,531

-43.28%

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

$13.18 ₾34.26

$37.68 R 610

-65.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 ₾51.2

$37.72 R 610

-47.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₾177

$34.65 R 560

96.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 ₾46.65

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₾16.70

$7.35 R 119

-12.65%

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

$372 ₾967

$256 R 4,143

45.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.1K

$5,760 R 93.2K

87.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₾272

$55.9 R 904

87.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 ₾101

$33.23 R 538

16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₾299

$94.4 R 1,527

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$86.0 R 1,391

42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 ₾1,770

$478 R 7,730

42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,185

$379 R 6,124

20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 ₾3,410

$801 R 13.0K

63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ₾2,321

$739 R 12.0K

20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 ₾6,216

$901 R 14.6K

165.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₾3,704

$629 R 10.2K

126.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 ₾1,663

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Soweto: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Tbilisi and $478 in Soweto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $39.00 in Soweto. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $198, with Soweto 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 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 $1,919 in Tbilisi and $1,692 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: $681 in Tbilisi versus $478 in Soweto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $372 in Tbilisi versus $256 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 $39.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,128 in Soweto versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Soweto but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Soweto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Soweto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,128 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Soweto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Soweto 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 Soweto 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.