Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sveti Nikole

For one person, living is cheaper in Sveti Nikole: $847 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,242
/mo nomad
Sveti Nikole
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$847
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Sveti Nikole

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $847 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,242
  • Sveti Nikole $847

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,299 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,962
  • Sveti Nikole $1,299

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,752 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,682
  • Sveti Nikole $1,752

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

Both Tbilisi and Sveti Nikole are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Sveti Nikole 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 ₾28.46
$8.91 MKD 488
23.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.21 ₾99.0
$34.23 MKD 1,876
11.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.58 ₾24.84
$5.31 MKD 291
80.41%
Cappuccino
$3.59 ₾9.31
$1.62 MKD 88.8
121.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ₾2.66
$1.40 MKD 76.7
-26.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.64
$0.98 MKD 53.6
-35.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ₾7.10
$1.59 MKD 87.0
72.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ₾8.22
$1.81 MKD 99.1
75.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ₾5.53
$1.30 MKD 71.1
63.85%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.59 MKD 32.37
25.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 ₾4.46
$1.15 MKD 63.2
49.57%
Eggs
$2.78 ₾7.21
$2.50 MKD 137
11.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 ₾24.56
$8.98 MKD 492
5.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.45 ₾16.71
$4.62 MKD 253
39.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 ₾33.76
$12.02 MKD 659
8.32%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 ₾4.37
$1.35 MKD 74.0
25.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₾4.76
$1.24 MKD 67.8
48.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 ₾4.90
$1.23 MKD 67.7
53.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.40 ₾6.22
$1.70 MKD 93.3
41.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 ₾2.17
$0.74 MKD 40.77
13.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 ₾1.75
$1.16 MKD 63.8
-41.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.68
$0.80 MKD 43.74
77.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.01
$0.42 MKD 23.08
83.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56 ₾9.22
$3.03 MKD 166
17.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 ₾19.39
$6.41 MKD 351
16.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₾4.43
$0.98 MKD 53.5
74.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₾5.94
$1.42 MKD 77.7
61.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.04
$0.72 MKD 39.23
-44.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.15 ₾39.27
$23.30 MKD 1,277
-34.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ₾3.08
$1.43 MKD 78.6
-16.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.03
$0.99 MKD 54.1
-21.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 ₾30.50
$3.71 MKD 203
217.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ₾3.65
$1.47 MKD 80.7
-4.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K ₾62.9K
$34.4K MKD 1.9M
-29.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K ₾56.3K
$27.3K MKD 1.5M
-20.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.6 ₾227
$128 MKD 7,030
-31.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.33 ₾34.55
$15.35 MKD 841
-13.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.51 ₾50.6
$11.85 MKD 649
64.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.7 ₾168
$22.65 MKD 1,241
185.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.85 ₾48.86
$16.14 MKD 884
16.79%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ₾16.97
$4.93 MKD 270
32.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾978
$303 MKD 16.6K
24.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₾27.5K
$3,086 MKD 169.1K
244.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$72.7 MKD 3,982
40.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.36 ₾105
$31.69 MKD 1,736
27.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾302
$82.5 MKD 4,523
41.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 ₾314
$85.5 MKD 4,684
41.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$675 ₾1,749
$239 MKD 13.1K
182.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,170
$182 MKD 9,990
147.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,275 ₾3,305
$539 MKD 29.5K
136.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$883 ₾2,288
$262 MKD 14.3K
237.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,415 ₾6,259
$1,505 MKD 82.5K
60.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₾3,640
$1,149 MKD 63.0K
22.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Sveti Nikole
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$706 ₾1,830
$548 MKD 30.0K
28.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
4.23
198.35%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Sveti Nikole
$182 59.6% $269
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$232
Sveti Nikole
$181 22.3% $52
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$186
Sveti Nikole
$128 31.5% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$171
Sveti Nikole
$123 28.4% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$120
Sveti Nikole
$155 29.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Sveti Nikole
$33 58.2% $45
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Sveti Nikole
$33 48.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $239 in Sveti Nikole. 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 29% 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $34.00 in Sveti Nikole. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $181 – making Sveti Nikole the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole
🕒 Local time
14:33 2:33 PM
12:33 12:33 PM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
13,220
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Sveti Nikole 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Sveti Nikole

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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Sveti Nikole?
Tbilisi costs about 47% more than Sveti Nikole, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Tbilisi and in Sveti Nikole?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $1,271 in Sveti Nikole. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Tbilisi or Sveti Nikole?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sveti Nikole, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Tbilisi and in Sveti Nikole?
Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $303 in Sveti Nikole. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Tbilisi or in Sveti Nikole?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tbilisi or in Sveti Nikole?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sveti Nikole, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Tbilisi at $1,242. In Sveti Nikole it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tbilisi or Sveti Nikole?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sveti Nikole costs $847 versus $1,242 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Sveti Nikole?
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.
Should I move to Tbilisi or to Sveti Nikole?
If budget matters most, go with Sveti Nikole. 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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