Cost Of Living in Tbilisi 2025

Average monthly spending for singles, couples, students, and families in Tbilisi

Whether you're living in Tbilisi or planning to move there, it is very important to know the cost of living and the prices of things. Here we list the average spending for the four main population groups.

Singles

The average monthly expense for a single person living in Tbilisi is 6,100 GEL. Expenses can range from 860 GEL at the minimum level to 68,000 GEL at the highest end.

Couples

The average monthly spending of couples in Tbilisi is 9,000 GEL. Expenditure can range from 1,400 GEL to 83,000 GEL per month.

Families

The average cost of living for families in Tbilisi is 11,000 GEL per month. Families spend anywhere from 2,100 GEL to 110,000 GEL.

Students

The average monthly expenditure for students in Tbilisi is 4,300 GEL. Students spend from 660 GEL to 48,000 GEL per month.

Expenditure to Income Ratio in Tbilisi

One of the most definite ways to determine how affordable a place is measuring the ratio of expenses to salary. A high expense-to-income to ratio indicates a high cost-of-living index while a low expenditure-to-salary ratio means the place is affordable to live in.

Expense to income distribution levels

Interpretation and Analysis

The average spending-to-salary ratio in Tbilisi is 94% This means that on average, people spend around 94% of their income for living. According to the distribution table, 17% of the population spend approximately 60% to 70% of their income every month.

Individual
87%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

77%

96%

Couple
94%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

83%

100%

Family
96%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

86%

110%

How much money can you save in Tbilisi every month?

We asked thousands of people what percentage of their income can they save in a month. Below are the answers.

What percentage of people in Tbilisi manage to save money from their income every month?

Almost 78% of the surveyed people in Tbilisi said that they can save some money at the end of each month while 22% said that aren't saving anything.

Percentage of people saving money by population group in Tbilisi

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

For most people, 16% to 40% of their monthly income is what they can allocate to their savings, with 27% being the average. The amount of money that people can save is approximately 2,700 GEL on average with savings ranging from 270 GEL to 41,000 GEL.

78% of surveyed singles reported some of their income going to savings while 76% of couples said the same. 67% of families confirmed their ability to save money.

How much money do people actually save in Tbilisi?

Singles

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for singles

Interpretation and Analysis

Singles who can afford to save reported that they allocate from 20% to 42% of their monthly income to savings, with 32% being the average for most singles. The average amount of money that singles are able to save is 2,400 GEL with 260 GEL and 26,000 GEL being the minimum and maximum respectively.

Couples

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for couples

Interpretation and Analysis

Couples who confirmed their ability to save reported saving equivalent to 18% to 42% of their monthly income, with 30% being the average for most couples. The average amount of money that couples can save is 3,500 GEL with 530 GEL and 32,000 GEL being the minimum and maximum respectively.

Families

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for families

Interpretation and Analysis

Families in Tbilisi can save anywhere between 15% to 35% of their monthly income, with 24% being the average for most families. The average amount of money that families can put aside is 4,100 GEL with 820 GEL and 41,000 GEL being the minimum and maximum respectively.

Saving Challenges in Tbilisi

Reasons that make it difficult for people to save money

We wanted to understand what is stopping people from maximizing their savings in Tbilisi. Listed below are the answers given by the survey participants.

Around 6% of the people said that their salary is too low to accommodate a portion for savings while 9% said that the high cost of living leaves little room for savings. 16% of the residents said that they are burdened with debt and find it challenging to save money. 11% reported that they just don't have the knowledge or discipline to create and stick to a budget, leading to overspending and an inability to save. 10% blamed impulsive spending as the reason for saving inability. Around 6% said that unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs are derailing their savings goals. 6% bluntly said that they don't see the purpose of it and prefer to live each day to the fullest. 18% reported that they understand the value of saving but are putting off saving for the future, thinking they have plenty of time to start later. 12% blamed inflation, saying that every time they save some money they end up using it immediately. A surprising 3% said that social pressure and keeping up with peers or social expectations makes them overspend. Lastly, 3% blamed market instability and price fluctuations.

Financial goals of people in Tbilisi

In an attempt to understand the economic situation in Tbilisi, we asked participants about their financial targets. By knowing what the population in general is trying to achieve, we can shed light on the economic outlook, cost of living, and quality of life in general.

Around 7% of those who participated in the survey said that their main goal is to establish an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses while 36% said their number one priority is to pay off high-interest debt or loans and improve credit. 9% of surveyed people confirmed that saving for retirement to ensure a comfortable lifestyle in the final years is their main target. Around 8% reported that their priority is saving for the tuition fees and education costs of their children while 17% choose to buy a home or pay off existing mortgage before other things. 8% of the population would like to build wealth through investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate. For 9% of people, saving for vacations or upgrading their lifestyle is the number one concern. Approximately 11% of the residents said that saving for healthcare expenses including insurance premiums is their main goal.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Tbilisi

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

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Individual

45 GEL

320 GEL

3,500 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$17

$120

$1,300

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Couple

47 GEL

340 GEL

3,900 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$18

$130

$1,500

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Family

88 GEL

440 GEL

4,400 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$33

$170

$1,700

Internet and cable cost

42 GEL

83 GEL

110 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$16

$31

$42

Mobile phone bill and charges

27 GEL

45 GEL

140 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$10

$17

$51

The average monthly expenditure for individuals on electricty, water, and gas in Tbilisi ranges between 45 GEL and 3,500 GEL with average being 320 GEL, meanwhile the expenditure of couples is slightly higher at 340 GEL with 47 GEL and 3,900 GEL being the upper and lower limits respectively. As expected, the energy and water consumption of families is the highest among the three groups with an average of 440 GEL. The cost of internet and WiFi is unchanged among the three groups and ranges from 42 GEL to 110 GEL with 83 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 Tbilisi is around 5.9%. This means that people pay 5.9% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 2.4% to 11% depending on salary and location.

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Tbilisi

Rent Cost in Tbilisi

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

760 GEL

1,100 GEL

3,100 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$290

$430

$1,100

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,200 GEL

1,900 GEL

4,700 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$440

$710

$1,800

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

1,600 GEL

2,400 GEL

6,400 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$600

$900

$2,400

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

2,000 GEL

3,300 GEL

8,900 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$740

$1,200

$3,400

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

3,800 GEL

9,400 GEL

19,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,400

$3,500

$7,100

Townhouse monthly rent cost

3,100 GEL

4,600 GEL

13,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$1,700

$4,900

House monthly rent cost

3,800 GEL

9,400 GEL

19,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,400

$3,500

$7,100

Villa monthly rent cost

4,600 GEL

11,000 GEL

18,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,700

$4,300

$6,900

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Tbilisi ranges between 760 GEL and 3,100 GEL, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 1,200 GEL to 4,700 GEL. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 1,600 GEL and 6,400 GEL per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 2,000 GEL to 8,900 GEL. The average rent of a townhouse in Tbilisi is around 4,600 GEL while house rental costs can be as high as 9,400 GEL per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 4,600 GEL to 18,000 GEL per month.

Apartment and house prices in Tbilisi

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

160,000 GEL

240,000 GEL

480,000 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$60,000

$90,000

$180,000

1-bedroom apartment price

200,000 GEL

330,000 GEL

1.2M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$74,000

$120,000

$460,000

2-bedroom apartment price

310,000 GEL

920,000 GEL

1.8M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$110,000

$340,000

$690,000

3-bedroom apartment price

1M GEL

1.6M GEL

4.7M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$390,000

$590,000

$1.8M

Townhouse price

1.4M GEL

3.2M GEL

12M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$520,000

$1.2M

$4.5M

House price

1.6M GEL

9.9M GEL

14M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$620,000

$3.7M

$5.3M

Villa price

2M GEL

11M GEL

16M GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$740,000

$4.1M

$6.2M

The average price of a studio apartment in Tbilisi can range from 160,000 GEL to 480,000 GEL depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 200,000 GEL to 1.2M GEL. A villa can cost you 11M GEL on average with prices ranging from 2M GEL to 16M GEL.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Tbilisi can be x181 to x299 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x181 multiples of the average monthly salary in Tbilisi.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Tbilisi is around 40%. This means that people pay 40% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 28% to 52% 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.

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

Emergency Funds

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 residents whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes74%

No26%

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

Retirement, pension plans, and life after work in Tbilisi

What does the retirement lifestyle look like in Tbilisi and how much retirement savings are required?

Retirement age

The retirement age for most employees in is 65 years. Specific retirement ages can vary based on factors like occupation, gender, years of contribution, and location. It is not entirely unlikely for people to retire either before or after this age.

Retirement planning and savings

There are many retirement saving options, some are personally initiated and others are government-sponsered. Regardless of the source of savings, the minimum amount of money that needs to be put aside to ensure a peaceful and comfortable retirement at each age can be found in the table below. This data is largely approximated and can vary drastically based on individual needs and situations. Treat these figures as a general guideline.

Retirement Income Distribution

We asked residents about their retirement income sources and below are the results.

Retirement Monthly Expenses in Tbilisi

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Tbilisi

Prices and cost of goods and services in Tbilisi

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

Fast food combo meal price

7.9 GEL

16 GEL

26 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3

$6

$10

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Tbilisi is approximatly 16 GEL with meal cost ranging from 7.9 GEL to 26 GEL. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

28 GEL

41 GEL

83 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$10

$16

$31

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 28 GEL and 83 GEL with 41 GEL being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Tbilisi.

Fine dining meal for one price

53 GEL

79 GEL

320 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$20

$30

$120

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 53 GEL to 320 GEL with the average cost being 79 GEL for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Tbilisi.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

6.8 GEL

11 GEL

16 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.6

$4.1

$6.1

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Tbilisi is around 11 GEL. Price ranges between 6.8 GEL and 16 GEL depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

5.5 GEL

6.6 GEL

8.3 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.1

$2.5

$3.1

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Tbilisi is 6.6 GEL. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 8.3 GEL and the minimum being 5.5 GEL depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

3.9 GEL

5.3 GEL

7.9 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.5

$2

$3

A dozen eggs costs around 5.3 GEL on average with 3.9 GEL and 7.9 GEL being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

9.5 GEL

12 GEL

17 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.6

$4.6

$6.5

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Tbilisi is between 9.5 GEL and 17 GEL depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 12 GEL.

Pack of beef price

11 GEL

17 GEL

34 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4.3

$6.5

$13

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 17 GEL. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

4.2 GEL

5.7 GEL

8.1 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.6

$2.2

$3.1

A bag of rice in Tbilisi costs around 5.7 GEL on average with prices rangeing between 4.2 GEL and 8.1 GEL depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

1.6 GEL

2.1 GEL

4 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.60

$0.80

$1.5

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 1.6 GEL to 4 GEL. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

2.9 GEL

3.8 GEL

6.2 GEL

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.1

$1.4

$2.3

A bag of apples costs 3.8 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 Tbilisi is around 29%. This means that people spend 29% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 20% to 36% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for every population group

A single person living alone spends approximately 890 GEL per month on grocery and food with expenditure fluctuating between 130 GEL and 9,900 GEL depending on location and the type of person. The average cost of food and groceries for a couple is around 1,100 GEL per month. That number can be get as low as 170 GEL or a high as 10,000 GEL. Families' spending on grocery ranges from 330 GEL to 17,000 GEL with the location, income, and size of the family being the most determinite factors.

Typical saving choices for people in Tbilisi

Where do people choose to put their savings?

Affordable living in Tbilisi

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked residents one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Tbilisi?

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

How do people spend their money in Tbilisi?

We asked thousands of people about their spending habits and expenditure breaks. Below are their answers.

People living in Tbilisi typically spend from 15% to 34% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 26% being the average. The average spend on housing is 2,000 GEL with expenditure ranging from 200 GEL to 30,000 GEL. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses. Housing costs are highest for families and lowest for students as expected.

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Tbilisi ranges from 4% to 11% of total expenses with 7% being the average. The average monthly cost of utilities is 290 GEL with 29 GEL and 4,400 GEL being the upper and lower limits.

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether you live near your work or school, but roughly speaking you would expect to spend from 63 GEL to 9,500 GEL on commuting with 630 GEL being the norm for most people in one month. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 8% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 12%.

The average outlay on groceries in a month in Tbilisi is 1,500 GEL. The cost of groceries can range between 150 GEL to 23,000 GEL. People spend on average about 27% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 19% and 33% respectively.

People in Tbilisi allocate 4% to 12% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending is around 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 38 GEL to 5,700 GEL with 380 GEL being the norm.

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 25 GEL to 3,700 GEL with 250 GEL being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 3% to 9% of total expenses with an average of 5% for most residents.

Spending on education can vary drastically between different people. While working singles can spend 0% on education, families and students' expenditure can reach up to 22%. On average, education constitutes 6% of the monthly expenditure with 4% and 12% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 370 GEL per month with 37 GEL being the minimum spent amount and 5,500 GEL being the maximum.

Financial Literacy in

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 residents of 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 residents of 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%

Debt, loans, and mortgages in Tbilisi

Percentage of people who are in debt

According to the survey, 22% of the people in Tbilisi have some kind of debt, loan, mortgage, or credit card payments while 78% reported that they don't have financial obligations to banks.

Debt-to-income ratio in Tbilisi

Interpretation

The debt-to-income ratio measures the percentage of income being paid as debt settlement across the population. It is calculated by dividing the monthly debt settlement payment of an individual by their monthly income. Based on collected data, approximately 27% of the people's monthly income in Tbilisi goes to debt settlement.

Debt levels

Monthly debt settlement payment as percentage of monthly income

According to our data, 3% of the debtors in Tbilisi pay 60%+ of their income as debt settlement while 14% of the people pay 50% to 60% of their income for the same, which is quite an alarming financial situation for those individuals. 12% of people in debt dedicate 40% to 50% of their income to loan and mortgage payments while 14% dedicated 30% to 40% of income for same. Things are looking brighter for 13% of individuals as they only pay 20% to 30% of their income for loan and credit card repayment.

Distribution by type of debt in Tbilisi

11% of debtors in Tbilisi confirm that real estate mortgages constitutes the main part of their outstanding debt while 27% say that credit card payments are the reason they are in debt. Auto loans were the main type of debt for 20% of people and personal loans rose at 39%. Lastly, student loans are the main source of debt for 3% of debtors in Tbilisi.

Good debt vs. Bad debt

Not all debt is bad. Good debt typically refers to borrowing money for investments that can increase in value or generate income over time like purchasing a home or acquiring student loans. On the other hand, bad debt involves borrowing for things that fail to generate lasting value like high-interest credit card debt used for non-essential expenses like luxury items or vacations.

Loan Affordability Index in Tbilisi

Besides measuring the loan-to-income ratio, we asked residents how many times in a year they defaulted or were unable to pay their due credit card or loan payments on time. Understanding how often people default on their due payments is one of the indicators of the cost of living and economic situation.

Frequency and percentage of people who failed to pay their monthly credit card or loan payments on time last year.

Low-cost alternatives in Tbilisi

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 residents 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 people living in Tbilisi 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.

Cost of living comparison by city

#1 Batumi

The average cost of living in Batumi is 5,200 GEL, which is 17% less than the country average. Batumi is ranked first in Georgia in terms of expendenture and cost of living.

#2 Tbilisi

The average cost of living in Tbilisi is 6,600 GEL, which is same as the country average. Tbilisi is ranked second in Georgia in terms of expendenture and cost of living.