Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,339 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. The total is higher in Ulsan despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ulsan

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,339 in Ulsan, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Ulsan $1,339

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,185 in Ulsan, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Ulsan $2,185

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,030 in Ulsan, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Ulsan $3,030

Tbilisi is about 5% cheaper than Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tbilisi and Ulsan are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Ulsan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$7.62 ₩10.1K

48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$44.63 ₩59.3K

-12.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$5.93 ₩7,882

62.39%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$3.32 ₩4,410

4.22%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.88 ₩1,175

23.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.47 ₩619

34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$3.01 ₩4,006

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$4.38 ₩5,826

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$2.36 ₩3,139

-4.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$3.25 ₩4,315

-75.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$3.16 ₩4,207

-44.30%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.73 ₩3,634

0.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.88 ₩14.5K

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-37.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-47.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-85.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$3.74 ₩4,975

-51.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$6.05 ₩8,048

-60.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$6.01 ₩7,992

-85.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$3.26 ₩4,328

-78.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.89 ₩3,844

-51.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.28 ₩1,707

-44.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$3.12 ₩4,154

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$18.52 ₩24.6K

-58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.45 ₩3,264

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$3.44 ₩4,577

-32.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.14 ₩1,511

-67.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.89 ₩3,849

-60.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.78 ₩1,040

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$16.96 ₩22.6K

-30.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.43 ₩1,899

-2.10%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$30.0K ₩39.9M

-17.41%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-35.97%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$197 ₩261.8K

-54.74%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-64.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$27.21 ₩36.2K

-27.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$60.4 ₩80.3K

7.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$10.30 ₩13.7K

-36.21%

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

$377 ₾975

$263 ₩349.3K

43.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-51.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$51.5 ₩68.5K

98.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$45.56 ₩60.6K

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$61.0 ₩81.2K

93.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$75.0 ₩99.7K

64.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$373 ₩495.3K

78.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$244 ₩324.7K

83.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$761 ₩1.0M

68.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$648 ₩861.8K

37.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$4,483 ₩6.0M

-45.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$2,479 ₩3.3M

-44.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$2,331 ₩3.1M

-70.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.22

199.05%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 45.6% $205

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 109% $255

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Ulsan

$148 11% 21.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 39.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 114% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 3.8% $3

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 49% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $373 in Ulsan. 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 243% higher in Ulsan, 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $45.00 in Ulsan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $489 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

5 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,129,827

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Ulsan 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $1,339 in Ulsan – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $2,009 in Ulsan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $45.00 in Ulsan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Ulsan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Ulsan at $1,339. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulsan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Tbilisi to $1,339 in Ulsan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

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