Living In Tbilisi As An Expat. My Experience.

Living in Tbilisi as an Expat, life after 2 years.

Living in Tbilisi as an Expat after 2 years has been a learning experience to say the least. But you could say that about living in any foreign country as an Expat.

There’s been a few ups and downs. However, I’ve lived abroad for well over 20 years now. And if there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that it all comes down to managing your expectations. 

If you can treat your new home and environment without any expectations, most things come as pleasant surprises. You will soon realize that the place where you call home will be filled with plenty of unexpected surprises. I could say the same about Tbilisi. 

Though before I arrived I did have some expectations unfortunately. Some of which Tbilisi did not live up to. 

However, looking back, I now realize that it was totally my fault that the city of Tbilisi did not meet up to my “Expat expectations”. 

There are many great things about this city and country. As an Expat, the generous visa free stay upon arrival is basically unrivaled in the world. That is, if you come from one of over 60 countries. Georgia allows you to stay up to one year visa free. 

If you’d like to stay longer, you simply leave the country and come right back in and get another year. 

Unlike many countries who make you stay out of the country for up to 90 days before returning, Georgia has no such policy. 

The food is another great thing about this city and country. In fact, I must say that the food of Georgia definitely was the only thing that lived up to my expectations. 

However. I cannot say the same about the service in many restaurants that I’ve eaten in. 

Although the food in most of the restaurants was superb, the service was spotty. In some places, the service was excellent, whereas in others it seemed like the kitchen as well as the wait staff are run by 5-year-olds. But I regress. 

In this post I hope to answer some common questions about what it’s like living in Tbilisi as an expat.

Is Tbilisi a good place to live?

Tbilisi is a good place to live. But what I like about Tbilisi are the variety of neighborhoods both modern and old you can live in. 

Some neighborhoods are very well connected through the city’s metro system and some are not. 

Some are located in the very oldest sections of the city, and some are in new developments. 

One of the things I like most about Tbilisi however, are the views. Tbilisi is a city surrounded by hilltops. 

In fact, there’s a couple gondolas that actually take advantage of this wonderful geographic quality of the city.

If you live in one of the taller buildings, you may have some excellent views especially at night.

How much does it cost to live in Tbilisi?

Tbilisi could be as cheap or as expensive as your budget allows. You can choose to live in hostels or rent a room in someone’s home or apartment. You can even get shared accommodations. 

But also you can get basic studio or one bedroom apartments and most areas of Tbilisi for about $200 dollars on up oftentimes even less. Many of these may or may not include utilities and/or the internet. 

If you base your budget starting from accommodations, go out to eat a few times a week at a nice restaurant or even every other night at local restaurants as well as grocery shopping, etc. you can easily have a budget of $100 a week or perhaps more per person.

You can also live on much less, if you do all your own cooking and perhaps just eat out once a week. Public transportation costs are also quite cheap as well as taxis. 

Meals for one person including a couple glasses of wine could run you about $15 to $20 more or less. Please note that these are just rough estimates of what I’ve experienced paying living in Tbilisi.

If you really want to enjoy the best of Tbilisi, the cheapest way to do it would be to buy a loaf of “poori”, the local bread. They cook “poori” in wood fired clay pots all over the city at all times of the day, but it’s not France so you’d be hard pressed to find freshly baked “poori” before 9-10am.

However, you can get a loaf of this fresh baked local bread for as little as 30 US cents. 

You can also get a decent bottle of Saperavi, one of the most popular local red wines, for under 5 US dollars, perhaps even less if you don’t mind it being poured from the cask to a plastic bottle for you to take home. 

I’ve had one liter bottles of Saperavi sold to me that way for under $5 and it was actually quite decent tasting wine, perfect for meals.

Can foreigners buy property in Tbilisi?

Foreigners can buy property in Tbilisi. In fact, as a foreigner you may also reap the rewards not only in acquiring property at much lower prices than you would in other more developed countries. But you may also be eligible for residency, which you should note does have its own benefits and responsibilities.

Can you drink tap water in Tbilisi?

One of the great things about Tbilisi is, “yes, you can drink the tap water”. Although water purists may scoff at the idea, I personally find Tbilisi tap water to be perfectly safe. It could be a little hard though, but when I take a glass of water from the tap, it’s very clear. 

In fact, Tbilisi tap water is clearer than in some Western countries. 

As someone who had lived in Ukraine for a long period of time, drinking the tap water was an absolute no-no. At the very best, if you poured a glass of tap water from a faucet in Ukraine, it would look more white than clear. 

However, that’s not the case in Tbilisi. I can’t tell you how much money you will probably save from buying bottled water. 

In fact, you will be hard pressed to find water purification machines around the city where you can fill up or refill empty plastic water bottles. In Ukraine by contrast, water purification machines seemed to be everywhere and in almost every supermarket. 

In Tbilisi however, I have yet to find a water purification machine that I can take a bottle to and refill it at. They do sell bottled water in Tbilisi, but it’s not as popular as in most other countries.

Do they speak English in Tbilisi, Georgia?

In Tbilisi, Georgia they do speak the national language which of course is Georgian. Though there are many people that do speak English. 

However, English isn’t as common as Georgians would like you to think it is. Oftentimes you’ll hear Georgians say that everyone under 30 speaks English, etc. 

Though, I have found this not to be true. In fact, I get along much easier knowing Russian than I do English. Although Georgians will tell you that anyone over 40, of course, is going to speak Russian 

However, I have found many more younger people under the age of 30 speak better Russian than they do English. 

In fact, every time I have an interaction with a Georgian, whether it’s at a shop or pharmacy etc. and I need to communicate. I always ask first which is easier for you to communicate in English or Russian. 

Eight times out of 10 they will always say Russian. And these people aren’t over 40. Most of them are in their early 20s this includes shopkeepers, taxi drivers etc. 

So the fact that all younger people in Georgia are flocking to learn English, is kind of an urban myth.

Is getting into real estate easy?

The Georgian authorities have really streamlined the process for foreigners interested in getting into real estate.

There are many bargains to be had in the city.

But it’s not finding the bargains or even actually purchasing the real estate you need to be concerned about, it’s the possible renovations as well as finding reliable contractors, skilled and reliable tradesmen as well as appliances, fixtures etc for your real estate purchase whether that’s an apartment or country house, which will be the real challenge.

Is Tbilisi cheap?

Cheap and expensive are quite relative terms. If you’re coming from a Western country, then yes, you will find Tbilisi to be quite cheap. 

Especially the delicious local Georgian food, transportation and even rents will be much cheaper than they will be back in most Western Expat’s home countries. 

However, imported items do tend to be more expensive, like electronics, appliances, computers, etc. than they will be back in Expat’s home countries as well. Many people have things shipped in, through some specialized services. 

One in particular is called the USA to Georgia. This service is for people who still want to order products from Amazon.com in the United States and have them shipped to Georgia. 

Though, there are still customs duties etc. involved in this process. But with the exception of higher end imported products, Tbilisi is still quite cheap.

How much is a taxi from Tbilisi airport to the city center?

Taxi prices from the airport to the city center in Tbilisi fluctuate of course with inflation as well as currency rates etc. 

However, the last time I paid for a taxi, which was a year ago from the airport to the center was about $8 or $9 US. The best way to get to the city center from the airport would be to hail a taxi. 

Although the best deals are usually found on the taxi apps that you can download on your phone once you arrive. The most popular being Bolt and Yandex taxi apps. 

However, there are a few others. Catching a taxi from Tbilisi airport to the center using these apps can be a tricky situation. 

The airport scene is quite chaotic outside and hailing a taxi that’s not standing around waiting to rip off tourists can be challenging. 

Since most of the taxis that operate from these apps usually stay off the main road and park away from it. Once you order the taxi from the app, trying to spot it as it comes to the airport arrivals section and locating the taxi that you’ve found on the app can be tricky. 

I would totally avoid using taxis that are parked right outside the terminal as well as taxi touts that are constantly harassing new arrivals for their taxi services. 

You’re just looking to get ripped off if you engage one of these people. 

Unfortunately, many tourists still engage them or else they wouldn’t be in business. You can either take a taxi off one of the apps or you can use buses as well.

Is Tbilisi in Europe or Asia?

Tbilisi is located in the country of Georgia which is in the South Caucasus. 

It borders Russia and Armenia, but most consider it to be a part of Europe, although it is quite far from any country in the European Union.

Is Tbilisi worth visiting?

Tbilisi is definitely worth visiting. The architecture of the older buildings with their ornate balconies nestled in the hillsides surrounding the city, the various gondolas that take you up to various hilltops that surround the city offer amazing views as well. 

Although the center is quite lively and very attractive, it is also filled with scam artists looking to profit from the tourist trade. 

Just be aware, especially around Shardeni Street, as this area is known to rip off unsuspecting tourists using various schemes. 

Also, to experience Georgian food in Tbilisi is quite a wonderful experience in and of itself.

But if you can, you really need to get out of Tbilisi and explore the countryside itself. Georgia offers amazing natural excursions as well as skiing and trips to vineyards etc. 

There’s just so much to see in Georgia for such a small country, that you really should explore outside of Tbilisi, if you have the chance.

Which is the best area to stay in Tbilisi?

The best area to stay in Tbilisi is quite a controversial topic among Expats who live in Georgia. We all become a little too attached to our own neighborhoods for various reasons. 

For example, I lived in Saburtalo when I first came to Tbilisi and I liked the area. It was more authentic and less touristy, than say, the Old Town. 

However, the Old Town is where you will find many of the attractions, like the famous sulfur baths as well as the gondola to take you up to Narikala Fortress. All these are quite centrally located in the Old Town of Tbilisi. 

So if you’re only here for a week, I would suggest you staying there to make the most out of those locations. 

However, if you’re going to stay longer than a week, there are many other neighborhoods to explore. 

I must admit, I don’t know all the neighborhoods of Tbilisi, despite being here for almost 2 years. 

However, I have recently moved to the area of Vake and I find it much more attractive living here than I did in Saburtalo. 

Although in general Tbilisi tends to be quite noisy I find that the noise levels, especially if you’re off the main streets are much lower in Vake than in Saburtalo. 

In addition, you have better views of the surrounding hillsides. The neighborhoods in Vake seem to be greener and the sidewalks much better kept.

Living in Tbilisi as an Expat, conclusions.

As you can see living in Tbilisi as an Expat can provide you with an excellent lifestyle. In fact, I would say that Tbilisi is one of the most underrated cities that Expats have unfortunately overlooked for many years. 

Between the local food, decent reliable internet speeds, the very liberal visa policies as well as the overall cost of living, make living in Tbilisi ideal for the Expat. 

Especially if you are looking to either start a business locally or looking for a place to bootstrap a business online and are looking for a great cheap location to do so from.