Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Strumica

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $866 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
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Strumica Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Strumica

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $866 in Strumica, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Strumica $866

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,222 in Strumica, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Strumica $1,222

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,579 in Strumica, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Strumica $1,579

Tbilisi costs about 47% more than Strumica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Strumica are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Strumica 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.57 MKD 197

225.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$22.29 MKD 1,229

69.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$3.73 MKD 205

158.98%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.53 MKD 84.2

133.33%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.40 MKD 77.1

-22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.15 MKD 63.1

-51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.85 MKD 102

41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.98 MKD 109

53.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.29 MKD 71.1

68.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.74 MKD 40.52

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.70 MKD 94.0

2.35%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.12 MKD 117

33.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$7.99 MKD 440

16.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$6.19 MKD 341

5.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.90 MKD 545

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$0.61 MKD 33.76

175.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.38 MKD 76.1

34.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.20 MKD 66.4

64.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.97 MKD 109

22.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.83 MKD 45.63

-1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.77 MKD 42.56

-3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.64 MKD 35.29

109.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.59 MKD 32.34

30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.72 MKD 150

31.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$5.37 MKD 296

42.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.95 MKD 52.5

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.20 MKD 66.0

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.70 MKD 38.64

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.07 MKD 59.2

6.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.62 MKD 33.92

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$7.73 MKD 426

53.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.57 MKD 86.7

-7.64%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$33.6K MKD 1.9M

-26.95%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.4K MKD 1.5M

-15.30%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$150 MKD 8,258

-40.73%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$12.85 MKD 709

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$18.35 MKD 1,011

7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$20.22 MKD 1,115

216.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.10 MKD 391

0.28%

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

$375 ₾971

$365 MKD 20.1K

2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,764 MKD 317.7K

81.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$85.7 MKD 4,726

20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$36.58 MKD 2,016

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$104 MKD 5,719

13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$91.8 MKD 5,059

32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$308 MKD 17.0K

125.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$241 MKD 13.3K

87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$493 MKD 27.1K

175.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$298 MKD 16.4K

204.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,484 MKD 81.8K

54.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$979 MKD 54.0K

37.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$640 MKD 35.3K

3.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

215.50%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Strumica: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Strumica

$241 27.8% 46.6% $210

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Strumica

$178 20.5% 24% $56

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Strumica

$81 9.4% 57.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Strumica

$143 16.5% 16.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Strumica

$181 20.9% 48.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Strumica

$34 4% 56% $44

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Strumica

$7 * 0.8% 68.2% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $308 in Strumica. 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 4% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $22 in Strumica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $178 – making Strumica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇰 Strumica

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

36,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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 = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Strumica 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Strumica

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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 47% more than Strumica, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,298 in Strumica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Strumica, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $308 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $22 in Strumica. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,269 in Tbilisi and $866 in Strumica. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Strumica – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Strumica. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.