Cost of living in Tbilisi
What it actually costs to live in Tbilisi in 2026, broken down by category, with a calculator you can adjust to your own circumstances rather than a stranger's assumptions.
Last reviewed
What would it cost you?
Pick a starting point, then drag any line to match how you would actually live.
About $20,940 a year.
Numbers about Tbilisi age badly. The city has changed price level significantly since 2022, and a lot of what is published still describes the city as it was before that.
Here is the current picture, with a calculator so you can replace our assumptions with yours.
The honest headline
| Situation | Monthly, USD |
|---|---|
| One person, modest | ~$1,000 |
| One person, comfortable | ~$1,700 |
| Couple | ~$2,200 |
| Family with one child | ~$2,900 |
The single biggest variable is rent, and the single biggest determinant of rent is how close to the centre you insist on being.
Where the money goes
Rent dominates. A one-bedroom flat in Vera, Sololaki or Vake — the districts foreigners gravitate to — runs considerably above the city average. Move two metro stops out to Saburtalo or Isani and the same flat costs substantially less. Rents are commonly quoted and paid in US dollars, which insulates landlords from currency movement and passes it to you.
Food is cheap if you shop where Georgians shop. Markets and neighbourhood produce shops are dramatically cheaper than the international supermarkets, and the produce is better. A supermarket-only habit can easily double this line.
Transport is close to negligible. The metro and buses cost very little per journey, and taxis via app are cheap enough that many people skip public transport entirely. Almost nobody who lives centrally needs a car.
Utilities vary sharply by season. Winter heating is the spike, and older buildings with poor insulation punish you for it. Summer is cheap.
Eating out and leisure is where the range is widest. Georgia has a genuine restaurant culture and it is possible to eat extremely well for very little — and equally possible to spend European money in the places that price for visitors.
Health care is inexpensive and decent. Private insurance is affordable, and many people simply pay for consultations directly.
What is cheap and what is not
Cheap: transport, produce, eating in neighbourhood places, domestic help, mobile data, wine.
Not cheap: central rent, imported goods, electronics, Western brands, anything sold primarily to foreigners.
The pattern is consistent — things produced in Georgia are inexpensive, things shipped into Georgia are not. People who structure their life around local goods and services find it very affordable. People who try to reproduce a Western consumption pattern find it surprisingly ordinary.
A note on the numbers
These are observed market ranges, not official statistics, and rent in particular moves quickly. They are a starting point for your own budget rather than a promise. The calculator above lets you replace every line with what you would actually spend.
If you are comparing Tbilisi against somewhere else specifically, is Tbilisi expensive puts it side by side with seven cities.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need per month in Tbilisi?
Roughly $1,000 a month for a modest single life, $1,300-1,800 for a comfortable one, and $2,000-2,600 for a couple or small family renting somewhere central. Rent is what moves the number most.
Has Tbilisi got more expensive?
Yes, sharply, and mostly in rent. The arrival of large numbers of relocating remote workers from 2022 onwards pushed central rents to multiples of their previous level. Food, transport and services have risen far less.
Can I live on $1,000 a month?
Yes, if you accept a flat outside the centre or a shared one, cook most meals, and use public transport. It is a normal life rather than a deprived one, but it is not the centre-of-town café life the number is often imagined to buy.
Do I need health insurance?
It is not mandatory for foreigners but it is inexpensive and worth having. Private clinics in Tbilisi are good and affordable by Western standards, and many expats pay out of pocket for routine care.
Where these numbers come from
Verified on against the primary sources listed below. This is information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and individual circumstances differ — confirm anything you intend to act on with the Revenue Service or a qualified adviser.
Not fully verifiable
Some details on this page could not be confirmed against an English-language primary source and are marked as indicative where they appear.
Important caveats
- These are typical ranges observed in the market, not official statistics. Rents in particular move quickly and vary a lot by district.
- Figures assume a foreigner renting on the open market, which usually costs more than a long-standing local tenancy.
Sources