Cost of living: Tbilisi vs Baku

Baku costs noticeably more than Tbilisi, particularly for housing, and is considerably harder to settle in long-term.

Tbilisi

Georgia

1-bed, centre
$620/mo
Meal out
$8
Coffee
$2.4

Baku

Azerbaijan

1-bed, centre
$750/mo
Meal out
$11
Coffee
$3.1

On a typical monthly basket, Baku costs about 1.2x what Tbilisi does.

Why people compare these two

The third Caucasus capital, and the one people usually rule in or out on visa and openness grounds rather than cost.

What the cost difference actually buys you

You pay more in Baku for a city that is visibly better funded — smoother infrastructure, newer buildings, a more polished waterfront. Whether that is worth the premium depends on how much you value that kind of finish against having a larger foreign community and a cheaper base.

How long you can stay

This is the sharpest practical difference. Georgia lets many nationalities arrive and stay for a year with no application at all. Azerbaijan generally requires a visa in advance for most visitors, usually an e-visa with a much shorter permitted stay. If you want to try a place before committing, Georgia costs you nothing to try. Confirm the current requirements for your nationality before booking.

Entitlements vary a lot by nationality, so treat this as orientation and confirm the current rules for your own passport before making plans around them.

What differs beyond the price

Cost is the easy part of this decision and rarely the deciding one. These are the differences that actually shape daily life:

  • Azerbaijan requires a visa for most nationalities; Georgia does not for a year.
  • Baku is a wealthier, more polished, oil-funded city — and prices reflect that.
  • Georgia has a much larger and more established foreign remote-work community.
  • Baku sits on the Caspian; Tbilisi is inland with mountains close by.
  • Georgia's tax regime for individuals is substantially more favourable.

Which one suits you

Choose Tbilisi if

  • You want to arrive and stay without a visa process
  • You want the 1% regime
  • You want a cheaper base with an existing expat community

Choose Baku if

  • Your work is tied to Azerbaijan
  • You prefer a more modern, planned city and will pay for it

Every city, side by side

Tbilisi against all seven cities people weigh it against. Tap a column to sort.

Tbilisi against the cities people compare it with

Tap a column to sort. Index 100 = Tbilisi, so 200 means roughly twice the monthly cost.

City
BatumiGeorgia92$520$7$2.2
TbilisiGeorgia100$620$8$2.4
YerevanArmenia108$700$9$2.6
BakuAzerbaijan118$750$11$3.1
IstanbulTürkiye132$900$12$3.4
MoscowRussia152$1,000$14$3.6
DubaiUAE268$2,200$20$5.2
LondonUnited Kingdom396$2,800$25$4.4

Tax is the other half of this decision: work out what you would pay with the 1% tax calculator, or build a real budget from the full Tbilisi cost breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tbilisi cheaper than Baku?

Yes. On a typical monthly basket, Baku costs roughly 1.2x what Tbilisi does, and the gap is widest in rent.

Should I move to Tbilisi or Baku?

Baku costs noticeably more than Tbilisi, particularly for housing, and is considerably harder to settle in long-term.

How much is rent in Tbilisi compared with Baku?

A one-bedroom flat in the centre runs about $620 a month in Tbilisi and about $750 in Baku. Rent is where the two cities differ most, and it moves faster than any other line in a budget.

How long can I stay in Baku compared with Georgia?

This is the sharpest practical difference. Georgia lets many nationalities arrive and stay for a year with no application at all. Azerbaijan generally requires a visa in advance for most visitors, usually an e-visa with a much shorter permitted stay. If you want to try a place before committing, Georgia costs you nothing to try. Confirm the current requirements for your nationality before booking.

What does the cost difference actually mean day to day?

You pay more in Baku for a city that is visibly better funded — smoother infrastructure, newer buildings, a more polished waterfront. Whether that is worth the premium depends on how much you value that kind of finish against having a larger foreign community and a cheaper base.

Weighing up a move?

Tell us what you do and what matters to you, and we will give you a straight answer about whether Georgia fits — including when it does not.

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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

  • Cost figures are typical market observations rather than official statistics, and rents in particular move quickly.
  • The qualitative comparisons are editorial judgement, not measurement. They are meant to help you frame a decision, not to settle it.
  • 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