Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Struga
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$867
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Struga

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $867 in Struga, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Struga $867

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,319 in Struga, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Struga $1,319

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,771 in Struga, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Struga $1,771

Tbilisi costs about 46% more than Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Struga are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Struga 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$7.38 MKD 402
53.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$29.55 MKD 1,612
32.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.92
$5.35 MKD 292
80.00%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.95
$1.50 MKD 81.9
130.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$1.79 MKD 97.7
-39.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$1.17 MKD 63.7
-46.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$2.73 MKD 149
1.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$3.04 MKD 166
1.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$1.26 MKD 68.9
78.57%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.07
$0.69 MKD 37.56
15.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$1.61 MKD 87.8
9.32%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$1.97 MKD 107
39.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$7.78 MKD 424
20.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$6.37 MKD 348
4.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.45
$12.59 MKD 687
2.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$1.47 MKD 80.3
13.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$1.32 MKD 71.8
36.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$1.30 MKD 70.7
47.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$1.60 MKD 87.4
50.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$0.87 MKD 47.52
-1.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$0.80 MKD 43.56
-13.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$0.59 MKD 32.44
137.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$0.55 MKD 29.88
29.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$3.42 MKD 186
2.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$4.51 MKD 246
68.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$1.06 MKD 57.9
53.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$1.46 MKD 79.7
58.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.89 MKD 48.58
-58.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
$53.6 MKD 2,924
-70.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$1.12 MKD 61.0
1.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.62 MKD 33.69
27.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.70
$4.87 MKD 266
143.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.49 MKD 81.3
-6.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$36.0K MKD 2.0M
-31.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$27.3K MKD 1.5M
-19.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$99.8 MKD 5,445
-10.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$10.97 MKD 599
20.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.1
$18.76 MKD 1,024
5.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$19.98 MKD 1,090
224.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.24
$11.68 MKD 637
62.84%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$7.21 MKD 393
-8.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$116 MKD 6,348
223.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾27.9K
$1,579 MKD 86.1K
583.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$83.5 MKD 4,553
22.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$30.17 MKD 1,646
31.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$70.1 MKD 3,825
68.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$52.4 MKD 2,856
135.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$269 MKD 14.7K
147.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$225 MKD 12.3K
99.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,324
$439 MKD 23.9K
192.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$355 MKD 19.4K
150.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,276
$1,504 MKD 82.0K
61.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,573
$1,328 MKD 72.4K
3.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Struga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
$867 MKD 47.3K
-21.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
3.75
236.53%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Struga
$225 50% $224
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Struga
$186 20.6% $48
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Struga
$125 33.7% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Struga
$106 38.4% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Struga
$130 6.1% $7.5
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Struga
$34 55.9% $44
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Struga
$61 176% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $269 in Struga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Struga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $30.00 in Struga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $186 – making Struga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇲🇰 Struga
🕒 Local time
07:08 7:08 AM
05:08 5:08 AM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
33,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Struga 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Struga compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $867 in Struga – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Struga?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,300 in Struga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Struga?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Struga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tbilisi and Struga?
Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $116 in Struga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Struga, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Struga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Struga?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $867 in Struga to $1,266 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tbilisi or Struga safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Struga?
If budget matters most, go with Struga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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