Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Tulcea

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcea: $986 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Tulcea, Romania
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Tulcea
🇷🇴 Romania
$986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Tulcea

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $986 in Tulcea, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Tulcea $986

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,559 in Tulcea, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Tulcea $1,559

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,132 in Tulcea, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Tulcea $2,132

Tbilisi costs about 29% more than Tulcea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Tulcea are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Tulcea 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$11.70 RON 56.2
-0.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$46.31 RON 223
-18.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$7.87 RON 37.83
22.74%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.07 RON 9.93
72.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$2.12 RON 10.17
-49.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$1.06 RON 5.10
-47.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$2.07 RON 9.95
26.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$2.04 RON 9.81
49.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.61 RON 7.75
34.78%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$1.04 RON 4.99
-23.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.44 RON 6.91
20.83%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$3.16 RON 15.17
-10.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$7.51 RON 36.11
23.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$6.89 RON 33.10
-5.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$9.10 RON 43.73
42.31%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.34
$1.35 RON 6.48
24.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.64 RON 7.86
12.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.42 RON 6.84
38.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$1.99 RON 9.59
21.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.74 RON 3.54
10.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.70 RON 3.36
5.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$0.67 RON 3.24
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.77 RON 3.70
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$6.42 RON 30.87
-44.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$6.33 RON 30.44
21.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.00 RON 4.83
70.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.42 RON 6.83
69.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$1.07 RON 5.14
-62.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$17.84 RON 85.8
-14.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.64 RON 3.09
78.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.62 RON 2.96
25.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$6.36 RON 30.57
86.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.74 RON 8.36
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$28.1K RON 135.1K
-12.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$24.9K RON 119.6K
-10.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$134 RON 643
-33.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$7.76 RON 37.29
69.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$8.60 RON 41.32
128.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$31.52 RON 151
103.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$16.60 RON 79.8
14.70%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$8.32 RON 40.00
-14.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$319 RON 1,532
17.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$3,187 RON 15.3K
228.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$52.0 RON 250
99.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$31.54 RON 152
24.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$91.1 RON 438
28.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$95.8 RON 460
27.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$343 RON 1,650
102.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$274 RON 1,315
64.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$585 RON 2,813
131.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$499 RON 2,397
81.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$990 RON 4,759
131.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$856 RON 4,112
57.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Tulcea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$648 RON 3,115
2.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
6.85
84.23%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Tulcea
$274 39.4% $178
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Tulcea
$197 15.6% $37
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Tulcea
$169 11.2% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Tulcea
$122 29.2% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Tulcea
$150 23.5% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Tulcea
$48 38.5% $30
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Tulcea
$26 18% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $343 in Tulcea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $46 in Tulcea. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $197 in Tulcea – so Tulcea wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇷🇴 Tulcea
🕒 Local time
02:04 2:04 AM
00:04 12:04 AM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
73,707
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Tulcea 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Tulcea

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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Tulcea compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $986 in Tulcea – Tulcea comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Tulcea?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,479 in Tulcea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Tulcea?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tulcea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $46 in Tulcea. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Tulcea?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $986 in Tulcea. That makes Tulcea about 22% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tulcea, where all-in costs run around $986, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Tulcea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Tbilisi or Tulcea?
Families tend to lean toward Tulcea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Tbilisi or Tulcea safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Tbilisi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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