Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Zakho

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $725 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Zakho, Iraq
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Zakho
🇮🇶 Iraq
$725
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Zakho

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $725 in Zakho, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Zakho $725

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,158 in Zakho, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Zakho $1,158

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,591 in Zakho, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Zakho $1,591

Tbilisi costs about 75% more than Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Zakho are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Zakho 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$4.18 IQD 6,310
178.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$36.97 IQD 55.9K
2.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$7.14 IQD 10.8K
35.29%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.21 IQD 4,856
11.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$0.83 IQD 1,256
30.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.33 IQD 506
69.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$5.65 IQD 8,535
-53.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$3.94 IQD 5,960
-22.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.10 IQD 1,669
97.27%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$0.68 IQD 1,023
17.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.50 IQD 2,271
16.00%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$1.58 IQD 2,382
79.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$6.88 IQD 10.4K
35.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$4.26 IQD 6,440
53.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$12.69 IQD 19.2K
2.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$0.98 IQD 1,484
71.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$0.94 IQD 1,414
96.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.02 IQD 1,536
93.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$0.65 IQD 986
272.31%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.61 IQD 920
34.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.59 IQD 895
25.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$0.61 IQD 926
119.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.51 IQD 775
50.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.18 IQD 3,300
63.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$10.80 IQD 16.3K
-28.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.46 IQD 2,213
16.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.81 IQD 2,737
32.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$0.29 IQD 439
37.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$1.68 IQD 2,546
-32.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$1.61 IQD 2,440
-51.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$5.65 IQD 8,531
109.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$0.59 IQD 886
145.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$16.5K IQD 24.9M
49.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$17.1K IQD 25.8M
30.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$115 IQD 173.5K
-22.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$12.27 IQD 18.5K
6.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$24.28 IQD 36.7K
-18.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$39.56 IQD 59.8K
61.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$9.75 IQD 14.7K
-26.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$298 IQD 450.7K
25.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$2,742 IQD 4.1M
281.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$26.56 IQD 40.1K
290.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$19.78 IQD 29.9K
98.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$49.59 IQD 74.9K
136.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$39.81 IQD 60.1K
205.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$207 IQD 313.3K
235.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$136 IQD 205.0K
232.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$370 IQD 558.5K
266.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$319 IQD 482.7K
183.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$888 IQD 1.3M
158.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$551 IQD 833.0K
143.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Zakho
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$660 IQD 997.8K
0.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
2.53
398.81%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zakho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Zakho
$136 69.9% $315
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Zakho
$172 26.4% $62
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Zakho
$134 29.6% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Zakho
$61 64.5% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Zakho
$151 24.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Zakho
$59 24.6% $19
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Zakho
$11 * 50.1% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $207 in Zakho. 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 $37 in Zakho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $172 – making Zakho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇮🇶 Zakho
🕒 Local time
22:22 10:22 PM
21:22 9:22 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
197,163
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Zakho 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Zakho

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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Zakho compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $725 in Zakho – Zakho comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Zakho?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,087 in Zakho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Zakho?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakho, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $37 in Zakho. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zakho, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Zakho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Tbilisi or Zakho?
Families tend to lean toward Zakho – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Tbilisi or Zakho 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.

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