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Life in Georgia

Q: Can I pay the bills without a Georgian bank account?

Yes. On tbcpay.ge and bogpay.ge you can pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and all you need is the subscriber number. If you prefer cash, there are payment terminals on almost every corner.

Q: Where can I buy IKEA products in Georgia?

Georgia has no official IKEA store, but the Gorgia hypermarket stocks IKEA products, and gorgia.ge has a dedicated section for them. JYSK also sells Scandinavian furniture and mattresses.

Living costs, utility bills, phone and internet, shopping, the climate and public holidays are all covered here for people who already live in Georgia or are about to move. Choose a topic and discover all the details of life in Georgia.

≈ $890-1,390a month for one person in Tbilisi with an ordinary lifestyle, or 2,300-3,600 ₾

≈ $13-31a month for home fiber internet, or 33-80 ₾

112the one emergency number for the whole country

What would you like to know?

The essentials in 10 seconds

Cost of living

One person in Tbilisi needs around 2,300-3,600 ₾ a month
Groceries for one come to roughly 520-780 ₾ a month
Lunch at a khinkali house or a canteen costs 20-30 ₾

Vegetable stall on Agladze Street in Tbilisi

Costs

Cost of living in Georgia

If you earn in dollars or euros, Georgia is still one of the most affordable countries in the region. Where you live and the time of year matter more than anything else: life in Kutaisi costs 25-35% less than in the capital, and utility bills double in winter.

Cost of living in GeorgiaGroceries, cafes, transport, healthcare

How much do groceries cost in Tbilisi supermarkets?
Which city in Georgia is the cheapest to live in?

Prices in Tbilisi

What things cost

White bread, 500 gabout 2 ₾
Milk, 1 l4.5-6 ₾
Cappuccino at a regular cafeabout 9 ₾
Dinner for two at a restaurantabout 100 ₾
A single ride with a Metromoney card1 ₾

Where to buy groceries

Markets are 30-40% cheaper

At markets like Dezerter Bazaar or Navtlugi, vegetables, cheese and meat cost 30-40% less than they do in a supermarket, especially in season. Local produce is the best value, since imports sell for two to three times as much.

Food delivery in GeorgiaWolt, Glovo, Bolt Food

How much does food delivery cost in Tbilisi?
Is a Wolt+ or Glovo Prime subscription worth it?

The essentials in 10 seconds

Utilities and heating

In summer, utilities for a 1-2 bedroom apartment run 60-100 ₾ a month
In winter, with gas heating, the bill climbs to 120-235 ₾ a month
There is no district heating in Georgia, so each apartment heats itself

Paybox terminal for paying utility bills in Tbilisi

Apartment

Utility bills and heating in Georgia

Electricity, gas and water are billed by different companies, but each bill takes a minute to pay in a banking app. Every apartment heats itself, so your winter bills depend on the boiler, the windows and how well the building is insulated.

Utility bills in GeorgiaTariffs and ways to pay

Where do I find the subscriber number to pay a bill?
How do I pay the bills without a Georgian bank account?

Tbilisi tariffs, 2026

Electricity, gas and water

Electricity up to 101 kWh, per 1 kWh20.04 tetri
Electricity 101-301 kWh, per 1 kWh24.05 tetri
Electricity above 301 kWh, per 1 kWh28.54 tetri
Gas, 1 m³about 54 tetri
Metered water, 1 m³0.50 ₾

January in Tbilisi

What it costs to stay warm

Gas boiler80-140 ₾ for gas
Air conditioners150-270 ₾ for electricity
Oil-filled heatersup to 350-400 ₾ for electricity

Winter heating in GeorgiaBoiler, air conditioner, bills

Who fixes the boiler in a rented apartment?
What should I do if I smell gas in the apartment?

The essentials in 10 seconds

Mobile service and internet

An unlimited plan for 30 days costs 39-55 ₾
You need your original passport to buy a SIM card, and all three operators offer eSIM
Home fiber costs 33-80 ₾ a month

Connectivity

Mobile service and internet in Georgia

Three mobile operators cover the country, and in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi you will hardly notice any difference between them. All three support eSIM, so you can be connected before your flight even takes off.

Mobile service and internet in GeorgiaOperators and plans

Which operator has the best signal in the mountains?
How do I set up an eSIM before arriving in Georgia?

September 2026

A month of service

Cellfie, unlimited for 30 days39 ₾
Silknet, unlimited for 30 days55 ₾
Magti home internet, 70 Mbps40 ₾

Outside the cities

Coverage matters more than price

Silknet has the widest coverage, with a network that reaches the mountain districts and the roads to popular sights. Magti leads on 5G, and Cellfie usually works out cheapest.

For remote workers and digital nomads

Get home fiber of at least 70 Mbps and keep an unlimited mobile plan as a backup
Run a Speedtest while you are still viewing the apartment, before you commit to anything
Tbilisi and Batumi have plenty of coworking spaces with a reliable connection

The essentials in 10 seconds

Shopping and parcels

Shopping malls are open every day from 10:00 to 22:00
Parcels worth up to 300 ₾ and weighing up to 30 kg come in duty-free
Sockets are type C and F at 220 V, so appliances from the US and the UK need an adapter

Shopping

Shopping and parcels in Georgia

The malls stock almost everything you need, while bargain hunters head to Lilo Market and second-hand shops for clothes. Orders from foreign online stores come in by parcel, and forwarders charge the least for deliveries from Turkey.

Shopping in GeorgiaMalls, markets, appliances, furniture

Where can I buy furniture for a rented apartment?
How do I claim a Tax Free VAT refund?

Furnishing your apartment

Gorgia prices, October 2026

Sofa499-1,608 ₾
Mattress 150×200319 ₾
Refrigerator1,249-1,799 ₾
Washing machine649-949 ₾

Customs

Duty-free up to 300 ₾

A parcel addressed to a private individual clears customs duty-free if it is worth up to 300 ₾ and weighs up to 30 kg, and the limit applies to each shipment separately. Above that, the recipient pays 18% VAT plus a processing fee starting at 20 ₾.

Post and parcels in GeorgiaCollection, forwarders, sending

How do I pick up a parcel at a Georgian Post office?
Can I mail a laptop abroad from Georgia?

The essentials in 10 seconds

Climate and holidays

Tbilisi reaches around +32°C by day in July and around +7°C in January
Batumi has mild winters and about 2,435 mm of rain a year
Georgia has 18 official public holidays a year

Seasons

Climate and public holidays in Georgia

Dry, sunny Tbilisi, warm and humid Batumi, and the mountains with their long winters each have a climate of their own. Public holidays, though, are the same nationwide. On those days Public Service Halls, banks and post offices close, while supermarkets, pharmacies and public transport run as usual.

Climate and seasons in GeorgiaTbilisi, Batumi, the mountains

Which months are best for moving to Tbilisi?
What clothes should I pack for life in Batumi?

Good times to move

Tbilisi: September and October, once the heat has broken and daytime temperatures settle at +20-27°C
Batumi: May and June, when the sea is warming up and May brings the least rain of the year

The longest holidays

January and Easter

Between 1 and 7 January Georgia has three public holidays, and many people head for the mountains. Easter brings 4 days off in a row, from Friday to Monday. When a holiday falls on a weekend, there is no replacement day off.

Public holidays and days off in GeorgiaDates and what stays open

What stays open in Georgia on public holidays?
When is Easter in 2027?

Safety

Safety in Georgia

Georgia scored 88 out of 100 in the 2025 Gallup Law and Order Index, and people walk the streets of Tbilisi and Batumi without a second thought even late at night. The roads and the mountains are where you need to take care.

Emergency services

One number, 112, covers the police, ambulance and fire services. It works around the clock anywhere in the country, and the operators also speak English.

Roads

Road accidents killed 469 people in 2025. Cross only at a pedestrian crossing, ideally one with traffic lights, and look both ways even then.

Mountains

Check the forecast and the status of the passes before you head into the mountains. In winter, avalanches close the Georgian Military Highway around Gudauri and Kazbegi.

Safety in GeorgiaCrime, roads, natural hazards

Common questions

Questions about life in Georgia

How much do utilities cost in winter?

Utilities for a one- or two-bedroom apartment with gas heating come to 120-235 ₾ a month. If you heat with electricity alone, the January power bill runs 150-270 ₾ with air conditioners and up to 350-400 ₾ with oil-filled heaters.

Can I pay the bills without a Georgian bank account?

Yes. On tbcpay.ge and bogpay.ge you can pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and all you need is the subscriber number. If you prefer cash, there are payment terminals on almost every corner.

What do I need to buy a SIM card?

You need your original passport, because every SIM is registered to its owner. Cellfie sells eSIMs online around the clock, so you never have to visit a store.

Which cities do Wolt and Glovo serve?

Both services deliver in 9 cities: Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Zugdidi, Gori, Telavi, Poti and Kobuleti, and both apps work in English.

Where can I buy IKEA products in Georgia?

Georgia has no official IKEA store, but the Gorgia hypermarket stocks IKEA products, and gorgia.ge has a dedicated section for them. JYSK also sells Scandinavian furniture and mattresses.

Is the day off carried over when a holiday falls on a Saturday?

No, there is no replacement day off. The government does declare extra days off over New Year, but only for state institutions, while banks and private companies work as usual.

Directory of services in Georgia

Coming soon to the directory: mobile operators, stores, post and delivery in Georgia

We are putting together listings of the companies everyday life in Georgia depends on, and we publish only what we have checked ourselves.

Soon

Mobile operatorsstores, plans, home internet

Shops on Aghmashenebeli Avenue in Tbilisi

Soon

Stores and shopping mallsappliances, furniture, clothing

Soon

Post and parcel forwardersoffices and pickup points

Round-the-clock supermarket in old Tbilisi

Soon

Supermarkets and deliverychains and opening hours

Pictured: the Silknet service center and the shops on Aghmashenebeli Avenue in Tbilisi, a Georgian Post van and a round-the-clock supermarket in old Tbilisi.

Save to your phone

Useful numbers in Georgia

These short numbers come in handy in everyday life, and all of them work anywhere in the country.

Police, ambulance and fire service: 112

Gas leaks, emergency gas service: 114

Spoiled food or food poisoning, National Food Agency: 1501

Faulty goods or a refused return, Competition and Consumer Protection Agency: 1520