Cost of living in Georgia: detailed list of expenses
In recent years, Georgia’s economic condition has faced several major challenges. An unstable geopolitical situation causing several waves of inflow and outflow of people made Georgia’s economy quickly change and as quickly adapt to new realities. In 2024, Georgia seems to find its constant and flatten the pace of development. This article will overview the cost of living in Georgia in 2024. What should you expect if you plan to visit Georgia long or short-term?
In 2022, after the Russian-Ukrainian War started, Georgia faced another major wave of newcomers. This unexpected influx of migrants was reflected in the general economic condition of the country. The inflation in Georgia at the time was 12%, and the prices of every product and service dramatically increased. In 2024, the inflation stands at 2.74% rate, targeting the 3% rate, considered optimal for the country.
In general, Georgia has one of the lowest costs of living among European and West Asian countries. Though the rankings may vary depending on the source, a tendency is evident placing Georgia somewhere in the middle of the world’s ranking. We will bring an example of one of the rankings in this article to visually show you the perspective. The ranking goes as follows:
| Country | Place | Cost of Living Index |
| Switzerland | 2 | 112.2 |
| Norway | 9 | 79.2 |
| Poland | 74 | 41.9 |
| Georgia | 92 | 37.2 |
Hence, Georgia is a relatively affordable place to live. An estimated living cost for a family of four in Georgia is 2,219.4 USD, and for a single person, it’s 615.9 USD, excluding the rent.
Cost of housing in Georgia
Renting an apartment
The rent, traditionally, is the biggest area of expenses for the people. In the recent few years, the real estate market in Georgia has undergone significant changes. In 2022 and 2023, due to the high inflow of immigrants, especially from Russia, the housing prices both in rent and on purchase reached unprecedented levels. However, in the second half of 2023, a large part of immigrants left Georgia, forcing the market to once again adapt to the new conditions. Thus, in the first quarter of 2024, the gross rental yield in Georgia stands at 7.85% compared to the 9.01% detected in the last quarter of 2023. The difference may seem slight, however, it shows the tendency of consolidation of the market prices.
Today, the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in the Tbilisi center stands at 760 USD, while outside the central area, it’s 500 USD. Expectedly, moving away from the capital, the rent prices are even more affordable. In Batumi, for example, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs 530 USD, while on the periphery, it’s 390 USD.
If you’d like to purchase an apartment rather than rent it, the average price for a 1 m2 in Tbilisi is 1029 USD, but the prices prominently vary depending on the area of the city.
Buying a property
If you are not planning to rent, but to buy real estate in Georgia, the cost of one square meter on average in the country will cost you $1670 in the central regions and $982 in the suburbs. The fixed interest rate on mortgages for 10 years ranges from 8 to 11%.
Cost of utilities
For electricity, water, heating, and garbage collection in Georgia they pay about $75 for an apartment with an area of 85 m2. The mobile tariff of a local operator without discounts and plans costs an average of $0.08 per minute, and unlimited Internet at a speed of 60 Mbps costs from $14 to 31.
Cost of Food
The price of food in Georgia is considered low. According to livingcost.org, one person spends on average $324 a month on food, while a family of four spends $880.
- A trip to an inexpensive restaurant in Georgia for one person will cost from $6 to $18, about $10 on average in the country.
- A three-course dinner in a mid-range restaurant for two will cost $23-62.
- If you eat at McDonald’s and similar fast food establishments, you can count on about $7 for lunch.
The average cost of popular products in markets and supermarkets is shown in table below.
| Article | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| Cow’s milk (1 liter) | 2.0 $ |
| Bread (0.5 kg) | 0.7 $ |
| White rice (1 kg) | 2.2 $ |
| Chicken eggs (12 pcs) | 2.5 $ |
| Hard cheese (1 kg) | 8.4 $ |
| Chicken filet (1 kg) | 6.7 $ |
| Beef (1 kg) | 10 $ |
| Apples (1 kg) | 1.4 $ |
| Bananas (1 kg) | 1.8 $ |
| Oranges (1 kg) | 1.6 $ |
| Tomatoes (1 kg) | 1.8 $ |
| Onion (1 kg) | 0.8 $ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.3 $ |
Drinks
| Article | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| Georgian beer (0.5 liter) | 1.5-3.0 $ |
| Imported beer (0.33 liter) | 2.3-4.3 $ |
| Bottle of middle-class wine (and yes, we are talking about the famous Georgian wine!) | 4-10 $ |
| Cappuccino | 1.2-5.0 $ |
| Coca-Cola/Pepsi (0.33 liter) | 0.6-1.4 $ |
| Water (0.33 liter) | 0.3-0.8 $ |
Public transport, fuel and automobiles
Public transport in Georgia is considered one of the most inexpensive items of expenditure. On average, transportation costs per person per month in Georgia are just over $47, and for a family of four – $133.
| Article | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| One-way trip by bus | 0.4 $ |
| Bus subscription (monthly) | 12-15.5 $ |
| Taxi services (per km) (additionally 1.5$ for car landing and about 4.6$/hour for waiting time) | 0.8 $ |
| Car gasoline (per liter) | 1.4 $ |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline Class | 19,417 $ |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort | 23,653 $ |
Clothing and footwear
All popular clothing brands are represented in Georgia. You can go to clothing markets to save money, as well as to fashion boutiques to purchase new collections. Let’s take popular fashionable clothes and shoes of the middle price range:
| Article | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| Jeans Levis 501 or similar brand | 100-155 $ |
| Summer dress from store Zara, H&M | 22-100 $ |
| Mid-range Nike sneakers | 58-155 $ |
| Men’s leather business shoes | 62-252 $ |
Cost of Schools
An equally important item of expenditure for a family living in Georgia is the education of children.
- There are cheaper options, for $136/month, and more expensive, for $311/month. It all depends on the region of residence and the services of the institution.
- Private preschool services for a full day will cost an average of $218/month.
- Elementary school services cost from $1,550 to $10,870 per year. The national average is $4225, which, of course, is a lot.
Cost of Sports and Recreation
As for sports and recreation:
- A subscription to a fitness club costs $52/month
- Going to the cinema in Georgia will cost on average $6-6.5/person
- You can rent a court for $14.5/hour.
Bonus – Detailed expenses in Tbilisi
Here are two detailed lists of the living cost in Tbilisi for a family of four people, and for one single person:
Monthly cost for a family of four people in Tbilisi:
| Expense | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| Rent in the city center for a family of four | 1,300 $ |
| Utilities (Electricity, Water, Gas, Trash) | 75 $ |
| Internet/Cell Phone/Cable TV Package | 30 $ |
| Private Health Insurance (per family) | 90 $ |
| Transportation (Car Maintenance or Public Transport) | 150 $ |
| Food, including restaurant meal and Groceries | 880 $ |
| Household Help (4-hours, 1 x week) | 90 $ |
| Miscellaneous expenses | 300 $ |
| Total | 2915 $ |
Monthly cost for a single person in Tbilisi:
| Expense | Price (dollars) |
|---|---|
| Rent (one-bedroom, furnished apartment) | 780 $ |
| Utilities (Electricity, Water, Gas, Trash) | 75 $ |
| Internet/Cell Phone/Cable TV Package | 15 $ |
| Private Health Insurance | 25 $ |
| Transportation (Car Maintenance or Public Transport) | 50 $ |
| Groceries | 325 $ |
| Household Help (4-hours, 1 x week) | 50 $ |
| Miscellaneous expenses | 150 $ |
| Total | 1470 $ |
Summing up
Georgia is one of the cheapest countries in Europe in terms of cost of living, which is why it attracts so many immigrants. In 2022, the Numbeo portal published a ranking of countries according to the cost of living index. Georgia ranked seventh from the bottom in the list of the most inexpensive countries, behind Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India, Libya and Pakistan.
Affordable public transport, food, lack of compulsory health insurance, relatively low average bill for utility bills are the undoubted advantages of living in the country. In 2022, this rosy picture was overshadowed by a sharp jump in rental prices, but with the start of the outflow of immigrants in 2023, prices began to bounce back.
