Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Varna, Bulgaria
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Varna
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,408
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Varna

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,408 in Varna, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Varna $1,408

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,217 in Varna, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Varna $2,217

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,026 in Varna, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Varna $3,026

Tbilisi is about 10% cheaper than Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Varna is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$12.46 BGN 21.94
-6.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$59.9 BGN 106
-36.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$10.16 BGN 17.87
-4.92%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.87 BGN 5.05
24.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$1.89 BGN 3.32
-42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$1.62 BGN 2.85
-65.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$2.81 BGN 4.94
-6.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$3.50 BGN 6.15
-13.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.92 BGN 3.38
13.02%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$1.24 BGN 2.18
-35.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$2.58 BGN 4.55
-32.56%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$3.53 BGN 6.21
-19.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$11.53 BGN 20.30
-19.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$9.28 BGN 16.34
-29.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$13.97 BGN 24.60
-7.30%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.34
$1.90 BGN 3.34
-11.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$2.16 BGN 3.81
-14.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$2.12 BGN 3.74
-7.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$3.00 BGN 5.28
-19.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$1.30 BGN 2.29
-36.92%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$1.04 BGN 1.83
-28.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.05 BGN 1.85
27.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.78 BGN 1.37
-1.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$4.03 BGN 7.08
-11.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$8.90 BGN 15.66
-13.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.17 BGN 2.06
45.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.80 BGN 3.17
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$1.13 BGN 1.99
-64.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$28.11 BGN 49.47
-45.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$1.56 BGN 2.75
-26.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.88 BGN 1.55
-11.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$12.19 BGN 21.46
-2.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.74 BGN 3.07
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$29.6K BGN 52.0K
-16.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$24.7K BGN 43.5K
-9.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$176 BGN 310
-49.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$20.41 BGN 35.91
-35.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$15.68 BGN 27.59
25.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$51.4 BGN 90.5
24.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$19.47 BGN 34.26
-2.21%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$9.06 BGN 15.95
-21.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$498 BGN 877
-24.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$6,292 BGN 11.1K
66.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$65.3 BGN 115
58.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$33.01 BGN 58.1
18.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$102 BGN 180
14.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$99.7 BGN 175
22.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$640 BGN 1,126
8.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$482 BGN 848
-6.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$1,362 BGN 2,397
-0.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$916 BGN 1,612
-1.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$2,998 BGN 5,276
-23.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$2,090 BGN 3,678
-35.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Varna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$1,286 BGN 2,263
-48.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
2.82
347.52%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Varna
$482 6.8% $30
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Varna
$272 16.1% $38
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Varna
$200 4.7% $9
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Varna
$135 21.4% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Varna
$212 74.5% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Varna
$70 11.2% $8.8
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Varna
$39 76.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $640 in Varna. 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 94% higher in Varna. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $60 in Varna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $272 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇧🇬 Varna
🕒 Local time
02:05 2:05 AM
00:05 12:05 AM
2 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
348,058
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Varna 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Varna compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $1,408 in Varna – Tbilisi comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Varna?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,113 in Varna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Tbilisi and in Varna?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $695 in Tbilisi and $640 in Varna. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $60 in Varna. 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 Varna?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,408 in Varna. That makes Tbilisi about 10% cheaper.
How far does $2,000 go in Tbilisi compared to Varna?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,408 in Varna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Tbilisi or Varna?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $1,408 in Varna. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Tbilisi or Varna 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.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Varna?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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