Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,006 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Veliko Tarnovo

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Veliko Tarnovo $1,006

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,574 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Veliko Tarnovo $1,574

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,141 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Veliko Tarnovo $2,141

Tbilisi costs about 26% more than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Veliko Tarnovo are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$11.12 BGN 19.35

1.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$39.76 BGN 69.2

-1.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$9.61 BGN 16.73

0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$1.85 BGN 3.21

87.03%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.31 BGN 2.29

-16.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.88 BGN 1.53

-28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.03 BGN 3.53

36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$2.79 BGN 4.85

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.86 BGN 3.23

20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$1.05 BGN 1.83

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.48 BGN 4.31

-29.03%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.67 BGN 6.39

-25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.17 BGN 17.70

-7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$8.00 BGN 13.92

-16.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$12.43 BGN 21.63

3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.60 BGN 2.78

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$2.05 BGN 3.57

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.96 BGN 3.41

-2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$2.58 BGN 4.48

-6.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.09 BGN 1.90

-21.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.17 BGN 2.04

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.98 BGN 1.70

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-2.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$4.10 BGN 7.13

-14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$6.72 BGN 11.69

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.21 BGN 2.10

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.61 BGN 2.79

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-58.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$23.23 BGN 40.42

-32.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.16 BGN 2.02

-1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.67 BGN 1.17

17.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$11.18 BGN 19.46

6.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-10.26%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-18.76%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$30.6K BGN 53.3K

-28.61%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$95.9 BGN 167

-7.02%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$18.81 BGN 32.73

-29.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$15.86 BGN 27.59

24.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$30.50 BGN 53.1

112.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$19.69 BGN 34.26

-3.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$6.91 BGN 12.02

-4.92%

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

$377 ₾975

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$46.95 BGN 81.7

117.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$30.58 BGN 53.2

29.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$122 BGN 213

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$93.1 BGN 162

32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$351 BGN 611

89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$260 BGN 453

72.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$572 BGN 995

124.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$420 BGN 731

111.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$2,407 BGN 4,187

0.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,364 BGN 2,373

1.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$952 BGN 1,657

-28.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

2.74

360.58%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9% 42.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2% 4.2% $9.8

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3% 12.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1% 23.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13% 6.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4% 43.2% $34

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1% 40.8% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $351 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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 40% higher in Veliko Tarnovo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $244 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

71,150

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Veliko Tarnovo 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Veliko Tarnovo

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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,509 in Veliko Tarnovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 48% less in Veliko Tarnovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Veliko Tarnovo, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Veliko Tarnovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi 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 $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo to $1,266 in Tbilisi. 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 Veliko Tarnovo. 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.