A single universal figure is misleading for a simple reason: the spread comes from accommodation. A hostel bed and a room in a comfortable hotel differ tenfold, while breakfast and lunch differ by three or four times at most. So the budget below is broken down into parts, so you can put together your own.
In short: how much money you need per day
| Travel style | One person, no accommodation | One person, with accommodation | Two sharing a room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | 70 GEL | 110 GEL | 240 GEL |
| Typical tourist budget | 170 GEL | 350 GEL | 520 GEL |
| Comfortable | 330 GEL | 680 GEL | 1,010 GEL |
What's worth knowing about this table:
- a couple shares the cost of the room, so the "two" column isn't double the "one person" column;
- food, transport and entertainment are given per person;
- international travel to Georgia, insurance and car hire are not included;
- organised trips to Kazbegi, Kakheti, Mtskheta and other places outside the city are not included;
- one day is counted together with one night;
- the calculation uses August 2026 prices.
Prices in this article are in Georgian lari (GEL). At the National Bank of Georgia's official rate on 11 August 2026, 1 USD = 2.6198 GEL and 1 EUR = 3.0274 GEL. So 100 GEL is roughly 38 USD or 33 EUR. The official rate is a reference: at a bank or exchange office you'll get slightly less. More on where and how to exchange money is in a separate guide: Where to exchange money in Tbilisi.
How we calculated the budget
The calculation is built from four blocks: accommodation, food, city transport and entertainment, plus a small reserve for odds and ends.
Accommodation. We looked at offers for mid-August 2026 in the areas where visitors actually stay: the Old Town and Sololaki, Vera and the Rustaveli area, Avlabari, Chughureti and Marjanishvili, and neighbourhoods near metro stations outside the centre. We looked at the total price per night including taxes and fees, not "from" prices. For comparison we took both low season (November to March, except New Year dates) and high season (May and June, and August and September).
Food. We went through current menus of cafés and restaurants at different levels — from dukhans and khinkali houses in non-tourist neighbourhoods to places on Rustaveli and in the Old Town — and separately looked at prices in bakeries, coffee shops and delivery. Average prices across the country in 2026 are also borne out by Geostat's statistics: according to July 2026 data, annual inflation was 5.5%, while the "hotels, cafés and restaurants" category rose noticeably faster than the overall index.
Groceries. Prices were taken from the large supermarket chains in Tbilisi and compared with the market, where vegetables and fruit are usually cheaper. Seasonality was accounted for separately: in July 2026 vegetables and melons fell by 12.3% over the month, so August prices for them are lower than in spring.
Transport. We didn't count individual fares, but estimated a daily budget for four scenarios of visitor behaviour.
Scenarios. "Budget" means a hostel or a very simple guesthouse, eating in bakeries and places for locals, walking routes and public transport, at most one paid sight a day. "Typical" means a private room or a mid-range apartment, cafés and restaurants without excess, public transport plus one or two taxi rides, one paid sight a day. "Comfortable" means a good hotel, restaurants with wine, taxis almost everywhere, a private room at the sulphur baths or a tour.
Taxes and service charges are included in the calculation for food and accommodation, but in the tables below, dish prices are given as they appear on the menu — that is, before the service charge.
How much accommodation costs in Tbilisi
Accommodation is the biggest and most variable item. The prices below are per night.
| Type of accommodation | Low season | High season | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel (bed) | 25–45 GEL | 30–60 GEL | Solo travellers, short trips |
| Guesthouse (room) | 70–120 GEL | 90–150 GEL | A couple who only need somewhere to sleep |
| Whole apartment | 90–170 GEL | 120–220 GEL | Those who make their own breakfast |
| Mid-range hotel | 120–200 GEL | 150–250 GEL | Most visitors |
| Comfortable hotel | 220–400 GEL | 280–500+ GEL | Those who value service and breakfast |
A few things that move the price a lot.
One person pays for the room, not the bed. If you're travelling alone and don't want a hostel, you pay for the whole room. A single-occupancy discount exists but is rare and usually small. That's why, in the main table, a solo traveller with accommodation spends more than half the budget on a place to sleep, while a couple spends roughly a third.
A private bathroom. In simple guesthouses and some apartments, the bathroom can be shared on the landing. The price difference is usually 20–40 GEL a night.
Location. A room in the Old Town or on Rustaveli costs 20–40% more than a comparable option 15–20 minutes' walk away or one metro stop away. Tbilisi is compact, though, and accommodation by a metro station in Chughureti or on Marjanishvili loses almost nothing on logistics. Which area to choose for your priorities is covered separately: Where to stay in Tbilisi.
The final price. Look not at the advertised line but at the amount on the payment screen. Taxes, an apartment cleaning fee and sometimes a deposit are often added to the base rate. For apartments the cleaning fee is fixed, so on one or two nights it noticeably raises the daily cost, while over a week it's barely noticeable.
Season. The most expensive times are late April and May, and August and September. In winter, apart from New Year dates, prices drop by 25–40%.
Food prices in Tbilisi
Food is the second-largest item and the most controllable. The gap between "grabbing something to eat" and "having dinner" is very large here.
| Scenario | Budget option | Typical option | Comfortable option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 5–10 GEL | 15–25 GEL | 30–45 GEL |
| Lunch | 15–25 GEL | 25–40 GEL | 45–70 GEL |
| Dinner | 20–30 GEL | 35–55 GEL | 70–120 GEL |
| Coffee and snack | 5–10 GEL | 15–20 GEL | 20–35 GEL |
| Food for the day | 45–75 GEL | 90–140 GEL | 165–270 GEL |
What it's made up of.
Breakfast in a bakery. A khachapuri or lobiani from a street bakery costs roughly 3–6 GEL, a shoti loaf from 1.5 GEL and takeaway coffee 5–8 GEL. A full breakfast comes in under 10 GEL.
Breakfast in a café. An omelette or porridge with coffee in an ordinary coffee shop is 18–25 GEL. In fashionable places in the centre, an avocado breakfast with specialty coffee easily reaches 40 GEL.
A cheap lunch. A portion of 5–6 khinkali in a place for locals costs roughly 5–12 GEL: meat khinkali there start at 0.8 GEL each, in tourist spots 1.5–2.5 GEL. Kharcho soup or chikhirtma is 7–14 GEL. Imeretian khachapuri is around 9–12 GEL.
Lunch in an ordinary restaurant. A main dish is 12–25 GEL: ojakhuri 12–18 GEL, pork shashlik 13–22 GEL, mushrooms with sulguni on a keci 12–18 GEL, chkmeruli 16–29 GEL. With lemonade and a salad, it comes to 25–40 GEL per person.
Dinner for one and for two. A couple ordering a starter and two mains with lemonade usually spends 45–60 GEL between them in a mid-range café. That is, dinner for one is 25–35 GEL if you don't order alcohol.
Dinner with wine. A glass of wine in a café costs 7–17 GEL, a bottle of Mukuzani or Kindzmarauli 35–45 GEL, and house wine about half that. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine in a decent place is 100–140 GEL. In well-known restaurants in the centre, the average bill for two with wine starts from 120 GEL and goes up.
Coffee and dessert. An espresso is 5–8 GEL, a cappuccino 8–12 GEL and a dessert 10–18 GEL.
Food delivery. Prices in delivery apps are usually 10–20% above restaurant prices, plus delivery and a service charge. Over two or three deliveries in a trip, that's a noticeable sum, so it's worth budgeting for deliberately.
Three things that break a calculation based on the menu:
- Service charge. In most cafés and restaurants, 10–18% is added to the order total. It isn't the same everywhere, and some places have none. Check the bottom line of the menu.
- Taxes. VAT in Georgia is usually already included in menu prices, but isn't always clearly stated. The final bill may differ from the sum of the dishes because of the service charge.
- Geography. The same dish in the Old Town and in a café in Saburtalo or on Plekhanov costs about one and a half times as much. It's the easiest saving in Tbilisi.
How much groceries cost
If you've rented an apartment and plan to have at least breakfast at home, here are guide prices from the large supermarkets in Tbilisi for August 2026.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Water, 1.5 L | 1–2 GEL |
| Shoti bread (loaf) | 1.5–3 GEL |
| Eggs, 10 | 5–8 GEL |
| Milk, 1 L | 3.5–5 GEL |
| Matsoni, 400 g | 2–3 GEL |
| Sulguni or Imeretian cheese | 18–25 GEL/kg |
| Tomatoes, cucumbers | 3–6 GEL/kg |
| Peaches, grapes, watermelon | 2–7 GEL/kg |
| Chicken fillet | 12–16 GEL/kg |
| Khachapuri from a bakery (each) | 3–6 GEL |
| Ground coffee, 250 g | 12–20 GEL |
| Local wine, bottle | 12–30 GEL |
Note the units. Cheese, meat, vegetables and fruit are sold by the kilogram, water and milk by the litre and eggs in packs of 10. Vegetables and fruit are cheaper at the market than in a supermarket, and the most expensive are on lone stalls by tourist streets. August is a good month: in July 2026 vegetables and melons fell by 12.3% over the month according to Geostat, and in August those prices are holding low.
Breakfast at home for two — bread, cheese, eggs, tomatoes, coffee — costs roughly 15–20 GEL, that is half the price of a café.
Transport costs
Tbilisi is compact: between the Old Town, Freedom Square, Rustaveli and Fabrika is no more than two or three kilometres. So the transport budget here is more a matter of habit and terrain than of distance.
| Behaviour | Daily cost |
|---|---|
| Almost everything on foot | 0–5 GEL |
| Metro, buses and marshrutkas | 5–10 GEL |
| Public transport + 1–2 taxi rides | 25–40 GEL |
| A couple sharing taxis (per person) | 15–25 GEL |
A short taxi ride through the centre via an app costs 6–10 GEL on average, a ride across half the city 12–18 GEL, and from the airport to the centre 25–35 GEL. At the airport itself, drivers may ask for two or three times as much for the same journey, so it's better to book through an app. (Other guides in this series quote lower app fares for the airport run; prices vary with demand, time of day and traffic, so check the app.) Exact fares on the metro, bus, marshrutka, cable car and funicular change and are covered separately: Public transport in Tbilisi: metro, buses and how to pay and Taxis in Tbilisi. For airport transfer options and their costs, see Tbilisi Airport to city centre.
Actual spending is affected by things you can't see when planning: the terrain (Sololaki and Mtatsminda are climbs), traffic at 8:00–10:00 and 18:00–20:00 when app fares rise, rain that makes you ride instead of walk, and the area you stay in. If you live in Avlabari or Chughureti, you'll still have to ride part of the day.
How much sights and entertainment cost
Tbilisi is set up so that the basic programme costs almost nothing. A walk through the Old Town, Meidan, Abanotubani, the embankment and Rustaveli Avenue, the climb to Mtatsminda and the view of Sameba are free. You pay for specific places.
Guide prices for August 2026:
- Botanical Garden — 4 GEL per adult, with a cheaper concession ticket for students. It's the cheapest full attraction in the city.
- Museums. Major museums, including the Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli, are 15–25 GEL per person. Smaller city museums are cheaper.
- Sulphur baths. The public hall is about 20 GEL per person. A private room is 100–200 GEL an hour for a group, and VIP rooms cost more. A foam scrub with an attendant is 15–20 GEL, slippers and a towel 2–5 GEL each. Details and the differences between baths are here: Tbilisi's sulphur baths.
- Cable cars and the funicular — a few lari per ride; fares are covered separately: Tbilisi's cable cars.
- Theatre and concerts — from 20–30 GEL for ordinary seats; opera and premieres cost more.
- A group walking tour of the city — roughly 25–50 GEL per person.
- A private tour of Tbilisi — from 150–250 GEL per group of up to three or four people.
- An evening in a bar — a glass of wine 7–17 GEL, local beer 0.4 L from 5 GEL, a cocktail 20–30 GEL. An evening for two without going overboard is 60–100 GEL.
How much to allow per day: 0–10 GEL for a budget plan, 20–40 GEL for a typical one and 60–120 GEL for a comfortable one. Note that Narikala Fortress has been partly closed for restoration in recent seasons, so check access before you go up.
Extra costs people forget
These are the 10–15% of the budget that usually eats the reserve.
Mobile data. A local SIM card costs about 10 GEL, and tourist packages from operators are 15–30 GEL for 15 days. A one-off cost, but it's almost always forgotten.
Water and coffee on walks. In August Tbilisi is hot, and a litre and a half to two litres of water per person a day is the norm. Plus coffee. That's 8–15 GEL a day that doesn't appear in any line.
Service charge and tips. The 10–18% charge has already been mentioned. If it's on the bill, an extra tip isn't required. If it isn't, 10% is customary.
Airport transfer. 25–35 GEL by taxi through an app, twice per trip. By bus it's a token amount, but slower.
Luggage storage. Handy on your departure day: luggage rooms and services in the centre charge about 10–20 GEL per item per day. Details: Luggage storage in Tbilisi.
Souvenirs and pharmacy. Churchkhela, spices and wine as gifts — 50–150 GEL per trip for most visitors. Plus the pharmacy: basic medicines are cheap, but almost everyone buys plasters and painkillers on holiday.
Fees. Cash withdrawals at an ATM and card payments with currency conversion can add 1–3% to your spending. Check your own bank's foreign fees before you go, and always choose to be charged in lari.
Ready-made trip budgets
The amounts below are built from the daily calculations above. One day is counted together with one night. If your flights mean one night fewer, subtract the cost of a night.
One person
| Length | Budget | Typical budget | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 110 GEL | 350 GEL | 680 GEL |
| 3 days | 330 GEL | 1,050 GEL | 2,040 GEL |
| 5 days | 550 GEL | 1,750 GEL | 3,400 GEL |
| 7 days | 770 GEL | 2,450 GEL | 4,760 GEL |
Two people
| Length | Budget | Typical budget | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 240 GEL | 520 GEL | 1,010 GEL |
| 3 days | 720 GEL | 1,560 GEL | 3,030 GEL |
| 5 days | 1,200 GEL | 2,600 GEL | 5,050 GEL |
| 7 days | 1,680 GEL | 3,640 GEL | 7,070 GEL |
What each scenario includes.
Budget. Solo — a hostel bed (40 GEL a night), food in bakeries and inexpensive places, walking routes and public transport, free sights plus the occasional 4–20 GEL extra. A couple — a room in a simple guesthouse at 100 GEL a night and 70 GEL per person a day for everything else.
Typical budget. A room in a mid-range hotel or an apartment at 180 GEL a night, an inexpensive breakfast, lunch and dinner in ordinary places, public transport and one or two taxi rides, one paid sight a day. Beyond accommodation, 170 GEL per person a day.
Comfortable. A good hotel at 350 GEL a night, restaurants with wine, taxis almost everywhere, a private room at the baths or a tour. Beyond accommodation, 330 GEL per person a day.
None of the scenarios includes: travel to and from Georgia, insurance, car hire, trips to Kazbegi, Kakheti, Batumi and other regions, large purchases and expensive private tours. It's best to count out-of-town trips as a separate line, otherwise the city budget stops being a guide: Day trips from Tbilisi.
At the National Bank of Georgia's official rate on 11 August 2026: 1,050 GEL for three days is about 400 USD, and 2,450 GEL for a week is about 935 USD. It's a guide, not a guarantee: the actual exchange rate will be slightly worse than the official one.
A sample three-day budget
A realistic calculation for one person: a mid-range apartment 10 minutes from the metro, breakfast in a bakery, lunch and dinner in ordinary places, metro plus a couple of taxi rides, one paid sight a day.
| Item | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, 3 nights | 180 × 3 | 540 GEL |
| Breakfasts in a bakery | 8 × 3 | 24 GEL |
| Lunches | 30 × 3 | 90 GEL |
| Dinners | 45 × 3 | 135 GEL |
| Coffee and dessert | 15 × 3 | 45 GEL |
| Public transport | 8 × 3 | 24 GEL |
| Taxi, 2 rides | 10 × 2 | 20 GEL |
| Sights | museum, baths, garden | 75 GEL |
| SIM card, water, tips, extras | — | 40 GEL |
| Total | 993 GEL |
That's about 380 USD for three days. The sum fits within the "typical" scenario in the table above and comes out slightly below the calculated 1,050 GEL — because this is one specific route with no cushion. Add one dinner with wine and one extra taxi ride and you land exactly on 1,050 GEL.
When Tbilisi is more expensive
The difference between a cheap and an expensive date in Tbilisi reaches 40% — and it's almost always a difference in accommodation, not food.
High season. Late April to June, and August to September. In these months, hotels and apartments are at their most expensive.
The early May holidays. The start of May is a demand peak, driven largely by regional visitors. Accommodation in the centre is booked up early, and prices for what's left rise.
Summer months. July and August are slightly calmer than June in terms of demand, but not prices: some locals leave for the sea, while the flow of visitors doesn't fall.
New Year. The dates from 28 December to 5 January are a separate story: otherwise cheap winter costs as much as high season on those days.
Major events. Tbilisoba in October and big concerts and festivals raise prices for specific weekends.
Last-minute booking. A week before arrival in high season, the choice in the mid-range narrows sharply, leaving either expensive or badly located options.
Weekends. Friday and Saturday in the centre are more expensive than weekdays, usually by 15–25% a night.
Location. A constant factor: the centre costs more than neighbouring districts for the same quality.
It's not possible to say that any single month is always the cheapest: prices depend on the calendar of holidays and events in a given year. The general direction is stable — winter without the New Year dates is cheaper than summer — but it's worth checking specific sums for your dates.
How to save without spoiling the trip
Choose an area by the metro rather than necessarily inside the Old Town. Tbilisi's metro is fast and the city is small. Accommodation in Chughureti, Marjanishvili or Avlabari at the same quality costs 20–40% less, and it's 10–15 minutes from there to the Old Town.
Compare the final price of the room, not the rate. Tax, a cleaning fee and a deposit can add 15–25% to the "from" price. For apartments, a fixed cleaning fee hits short trips especially hard — on two nights it can cost a third of a night.
Don't take a taxi for every ride. Replacing three rides a day with one saves 20–30 GEL daily — over a week, that's a night in a guesthouse. A taxi makes sense at rush hour and on hills, not on the Rustaveli–Meidan route.
Check the service charge on the menu. The difference between a place with no charge and one with 18% on a dinner for two is 20–25 GEL. The line is usually at the bottom of the first or last page of the menu.
Combine paid sights with free ones. One museum or bath a day plus a walking route is a full programme for 20–40 GEL, not 100.
Buy water and snacks away from the main sights. A bottle of water in a supermarket costs 1–2 GEL, at the entrance to Abanotubani two or three times as much. Over a week for two, that adds up.
Count out-of-town trips separately. A trip to Kazbegi or Kakheti is a separate budget line of 100–250 GEL per person. Mixing it with the city calculation makes no sense: it immediately doubles the "average day".
How much cash to keep in reserve
Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Tbilisi — in hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and taxis via apps. But you can't manage entirely without cash.
A practical guide:
- for the first day — 150–200 GEL, so you don't have to look for an ATM on your first evening;
- as a reserve in case a card fails — another 200–300 GEL;
- for markets, bakeries and small places — 50–100 GEL in small notes, since they may not take cards or the terminal may be down;
- for trips beyond the centre — a small stock for marshrutkas and street food.
In all, 300–500 GEL in cash for the trip is a comfortable amount for a couple for a week. There's no point keeping your whole budget in cash. For where to exchange and how to avoid losing on the rate, see Where to exchange money in Tbilisi.
Bottom line
- The minimum realistic budget is 110 GEL a day per person including accommodation: a hostel, inexpensive food, walking routes.
- The typical budget for most visitors is 350 GEL a day per person or 520 GEL a day for a couple sharing a room.
- A comfortable budget is 680 GEL a day per person and 1,010 GEL for a couple.
- Three days cost roughly 1,050 GEL per person and 1,560 GEL for two on the typical plan.
- A week is about 2,450 GEL per person and 3,640 GEL for two.
All amounts exclude international travel, insurance and trips out of town.
Read also
Frequently asked questions
How much money does a single visitor need in Tbilisi per day?
70 GEL without accommodation on a tight budget, 170 GEL on a typical one, 330 GEL on a comfortable one. Including accommodation, 110, 350 and 680 GEL respectively.
How much money should I take to Tbilisi for three days?
For one person, from 330 GEL on the budget scenario to 2,040 GEL on the comfortable one; the guide for most people is about 1,050 GEL. Plus a reserve of 200–300 GEL.
How much does a week in Tbilisi cost?
For one person, 770 GEL on a budget, 2,450 GEL on a typical budget, 4,760 GEL comfortably. For a couple, 1,680, 3,640 and 7,070 GEL.
What budget does a couple need?
520 GEL a day for two on the typical scenario, including one room, food for two, transport and one paid sight a day.
How much does it cost to eat in Tbilisi?
45–75 GEL a day on a budget diet, 90–140 GEL on a typical one, 165–270 GEL with restaurants and wine. Some reference points: khinkali 0.8–2.5 GEL each, khachapuri 9–24 GEL, dinner for two in a mid-range café 45–60 GEL.
Is Tbilisi expensive compared with other cities in Georgia?
Tbilisi is the most expensive city in the country for accommodation and for prices in the centre. In Kutaisi, Gori or Telavi, food is 15–25% cheaper and accommodation more noticeably so. Batumi in summer is comparable to Tbilisi or more expensive.
What's the most expensive part of a trip?
Accommodation. For a solo traveller it takes up about half the daily budget, for a couple roughly a third. The second-largest item is food.
Can I do Tbilisi on a budget?
Yes. 110 GEL a day including accommodation is a workable figure: a hostel, bakeries and places for locals, walking routes, free sights and the Botanical Garden at 4 GEL. The programme hardly suffers, because the main thing in Tbilisi is walking.
How much cash should I have?
300–500 GEL for the trip. Of that, 150–200 GEL is for the first day, and the rest is a reserve and small notes for markets and small places.
What currency should I count the budget in?
In lari. Conversion into dollars or euros is only a general guide: on 11 August 2026, 100 GEL ≈ 38 USD ≈ 33 EUR at the National Bank of Georgia's official rate. The actual rate at an exchange office differs.
When is accommodation more expensive?
Late April to June, and August to September, and New Year dates. It's cheapest in winter, except for late December and early January.
Does travel to Georgia count in the figures given?
No. Neither flights, overland travel nor insurance are included. All amounts are city expenses in Tbilisi only.
Sources and date checked
Fact-checked: 12 August 2026.
- National Bank of Georgia — official exchange rates: https://nbg.gov.ge/en/currency-rates and https://nbg.gov.ge/en/monetary-policy/currency (data for 11.08.2026: USD 2.6198; EUR 3.0274)
- National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) — consumer price index: https://www.geostat.ge/en/modules/categories/26/cpi-inflation (annual inflation 5.5% in July 2026; vegetables and melons −12.3% over the month)
- Geostat, main site: https://www.geostat.ge/en
- National Botanical Garden of Georgia — admission (4 GEL for adults, concession and family tickets): confirmed by several independent current reviews, including https://wander-lush.org/narikala-fortress-tbilisi-georgia/
- Abanotubani sulphur baths — rates for the baths in the complex, 2026 check: https://tbilisi-life.info/chto-posmotret/1003-sernye-bani-tbilisi-abanotubani/; the baths' official sites: chreli-abano.ge, https://royalbath.ge/ru
- Prices in cafés and restaurants, groceries, alcohol, service charge (updated 08.06.2026): https://make-trip.ru/georgia/tseny-tbilisi-eda-produkty
- Supermarket grocery prices (updated 26.02.2026): https://georgia.in-facts.info/food/eda-v-gruzii-tsenyi/
- Cost of rides in taxi apps and airport transfers, 2026 check: https://www.triplinkhub.com/ru/blog/taxi-in-georgia-bolt-yandex-maxim and https://iotatour.com/na-chem-vygodno-ezdit-po-gruzii/
- Mobile operators' tourist rates (editorial check: July 2026): https://vc.ru/services/1250390-svyaz-v-gruzii-kakuyu-sim-kartu-ili-esim-vybrat-turistu-v-2026
- Cost of group tours in Tbilisi: https://www.sputnik8.com/ru/tbilisi/category/iz-tbilisi-po-gruzii
Accommodation prices were checked on booking aggregators for dates in mid-August 2026 in the Old Town, Sololaki, Vera, Rustaveli, Avlabari, Chughureti and Marjanishvili. The aggregators were used as an additional source for establishing ranges, not as the sole confirmation of a specific price.