Tbilisi on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Tbilisi is excellent on a budget. Plan on about ₾105 per person per day (bed ₾45, food ₾40, sights ₾15, transport ₾5), a little more on day-trip days.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ₾45 | ₾120 | ₾300 |
| Food & drink | ₾40 | ₾80 | ₾160 |
| Sights & tickets | ₾15 | ₾50 | ₾100 |
| Local transport | ₾5 | ₾25 | ₾70 |
| Per person, per day | ₾105 | ₾275 | ₾630 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Tbilisi day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk Old Tbilisi from the Sioni Cathedral to the Anchiskhati Basilica and the Bridge of Peace
- Watch the angel ring the bell of the Gabriadze theatre clock tower on the hour
- Walk Rustaveli Avenue from Freedom Square past the Parliament and the opera house
- Browse the Dry Bridge flea market, busiest at weekends
- See the street art and courtyard of Fabrika
- Visit Sameba, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, lit up at night
Cheap eats
- Khachapuri from a bakery: a few lari
- Khinkali (soup dumplings): cheap by the piece in local restaurants
- Churchkhela from a market stall: a few lari
- Badrijani nigvzit and pkhali to share: inexpensive starters
- Full meal with house wine: about ₾30–70 per person
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and guesthouses in Chugureti and around Marjanishvili, near Fabrika and the metro, about 15 minutes from the old town, at about ₾70–140 a night for a room or less for a dorm bed.
Getting around cheaply
Use the metro and buses at about ₾1 a ride with a Metromoney card or contactless card. From the airport, bus 337 to the centre costs a lari or two. For day trips, take marshrutkas from Didube station: a few lari to Mtskheta and about ₾15–25 to Kazbegi.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk Old Tbilisi, the Sioni Cathedral and the Bridge of Peace (free)
- Lunch: khachapuri from a bakery (a few lari)
- Afternoon: cable car to Narikala and walk to Mother of Georgia (a few lari), then the Dry Bridge market
- Evening: khinkali and a jug of house wine (about ₾30)
- Total: about ₾50–60 plus your bed (₾45 per person), so roughly ₾95–105
More ways to save
- Skip the private sulphur bath and use a cheaper public section, or share a room with friends.
- Eat lunch in local canteens and bakeries and save the restaurant supra for dinner.
- Travel in shoulder weeks of May or October for good weather without the summer heat.
- Withdraw lari from ATMs and avoid exchange booths with poor rates near the airport.
- Carry cash for marshrutkas, markets and village guesthouses.
- Combine Mtskheta and Jvari in one half day by marshrutka plus a short taxi up the hill (about ₾20–30 return).
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Common questions
Can you visit Tbilisi on a budget?
Yes, easily. About ₾105 per person per day covers a guesthouse, local food and public transport.
What is the cheapest way from the airport?
Bus 337 to the centre for a lari or two; a Bolt taxi costs about ₾25–40.
How can I visit Kazbegi cheaply?
Take a shared minibus from Didube station in the morning for about ₾15–25, about 3 hours each way.