Cost Of Living For a Student in Georgia 2025

Average monthly spending for students in Georgia

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Georgia?

Students in Georgia spend around 3,200 GEL per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 490 GEL or as high as 21,000 GEL. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Georgia?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Georgia typically spend from 17% to 28% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 22% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 760 GEL with expenditure ranging from 120 GEL to 5,100 GEL. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Georgia ranges from 3% to 9% of total expenses with 5% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 130 GEL with 20 GEL and 850 GEL being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 34 GEL to 1,500 GEL in a month on commuting with 220 GEL being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 6% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 12%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Georgia is 640 GEL. The cost of groceries can range between 98 GEL to 4,200 GEL. Students spend on average about 21% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 15% and 25% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Georgia allocate 4% to 10% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 7%. The range of medical expenses range from 29 GEL to 1,300 GEL with 190 GEL being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 24 GEL to 1,100 GEL with 160 GEL being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 3% to 8% of total expenses with an average of 4% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 600 GEL per month with 93 GEL being the minimum spent amount and 4,000 GEL being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Georgia

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Georgia?

Around 74% of surveyed students think that living in Georgia is affordable with proper budgeting while 26% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Georgia

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options62%

Few low-cost options38%

Based on the survey, 62% of the students living in Georgia have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 38% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Georgia whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes74%

No26%

Based on the survey, 26% of the students living in Georgia said that they don't have an emergency fund while 74% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Georgia

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy69%

We asked student guardians and parents in Georgia whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 31% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 69% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of Georgia have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 21% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 79% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance21%

Easily manages finances79%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Georgia

Rent Cost in Georgia

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

560 GEL

850 GEL

2,300 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$210

$320

$850

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

850 GEL

1,400 GEL

3,400 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$320

$510

$1,300

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,100 GEL

1,700 GEL

4,500 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$420

$640

$1,700

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,400 GEL

2,300 GEL

6,200 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$510

$850

$2,300

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

2,700 GEL

6,800 GEL

14,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,000

$2,500

$5,100

Townhouse monthly rent cost

2,300 GEL

3,400 GEL

9,700 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$850

$1,300

$3,600

House monthly rent cost

2,700 GEL

6,800 GEL

14,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,000

$2,500

$5,100

Villa monthly rent cost

3,400 GEL

8,500 GEL

14,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,300

$3,200

$5,100

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Georgia ranges between 560 GEL and 2,300 GEL, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 850 GEL to 3,400 GEL. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 1,100 GEL and 4,500 GEL per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 1,400 GEL to 6,200 GEL. The average rent of a townhouse in Georgia is around 3,400 GEL while house rental costs can be as high as 6,800 GEL per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 3,400 GEL to 14,000 GEL per month.

Apartment and house prices in Georgia

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

110,000 GEL

170,000 GEL

340,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$42,000

$64,000

$130,000

1-bedroom apartment price

140,000 GEL

230,000 GEL

850,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$51,000

$85,000

$320,000

2-bedroom apartment price

230,000 GEL

680,000 GEL

1.4M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$85,000

$250,000

$510,000

3-bedroom apartment price

750,000 GEL

1.1M GEL

3.4M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$280,000

$420,000

$1.3M

Townhouse price

970,000 GEL

2.3M GEL

8.5M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$360,000

$850,000

$3.2M

House price

1.1M GEL

6.8M GEL

9.7M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$420,000

$2.5M

$3.6M

Villa price

1.4M GEL

7.5M GEL

11M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$510,000

$2.8M

$4.2M

The average price of a studio apartment in Georgia can range from 110,000 GEL to 340,000 GEL depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 140,000 GEL to 850,000 GEL. A villa can cost you 7.5M GEL on average with prices ranging from 1.4M GEL to 11M GEL.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Georgia can be x133 to x220 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x133 multiples of the average monthly salary in Georgia.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Georgia is around 33%. This means that people pay 33% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 23% to 43% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Georgia

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Georgia

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

20 GEL

130 GEL

850 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$7.4

$48

$320

Internet and cable cost

34 GEL

68 GEL

90 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$13

$25

$34

Mobile phone bill and charges

27 GEL

45 GEL

140 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$10

$17

$51

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 130 GEL. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 34 GEL to 90 GEL with 68 GEL being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 45 GEL but can range between 27 GEL and 140 GEL depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Georgia is around 5%. This means that people pay 5% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 2% to 9% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Georgia

Prices and cost of goods and services in Georgia

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

6.8 GEL

14 GEL

23 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.5

$5.1

$8.5

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Georgia is approximatly 14 GEL with meal cost ranging from 6.8 GEL to 23 GEL. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

23 GEL

34 GEL

68 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$8.5

$13

$25

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 23 GEL and 68 GEL with 34 GEL being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Georgia.

Fine dining meal for one price

45 GEL

68 GEL

270 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$17

$25

$100

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 45 GEL to 270 GEL with the average cost being 68 GEL for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Georgia.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

5.6 GEL

9 GEL

14 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.1

$3.4

$5.1

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Georgia is around 9 GEL. Price ranges between 5.6 GEL and 14 GEL depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

4.5 GEL

5.4 GEL

6.8 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.7

$2

$2.5

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Georgia is 5.4 GEL. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 6.8 GEL and the minimum being 4.5 GEL depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

3.4 GEL

4.5 GEL

6.8 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.3

$1.7

$2.5

A dozen eggs costs around 4.5 GEL on average with 3.4 GEL and 6.8 GEL being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

7.7 GEL

10 GEL

14 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$3.7

$5.3

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Georgia is between 7.7 GEL and 14 GEL depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 10 GEL.

Pack of beef price

9 GEL

14 GEL

27 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.4

$5.1

$10

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 14 GEL. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

3.6 GEL

5 GEL

7.1 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.4

$1.9

$2.7

A bag of rice in Georgia costs around 5 GEL on average with prices rangeing between 3.6 GEL and 7.1 GEL depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

1.4 GEL

1.8 GEL

3.4 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.51

$0.68

$1.3

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 1.4 GEL to 3.4 GEL. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

2.4 GEL

3.2 GEL

5.2 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.91

$1.2

$2

A bag of apples costs 3.2 GEL on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Georgia is around 25%. This means that students spend 25% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 17% to 31% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students