Georgia Travel Budget – Is Georgia expensive?

Georgia is a small country in the Eastern Europe area that tourists are recently discovering as a new travel destination. It’s becoming a popular place for backpackers but also for any other travelers who are looking for outdoor adventures, stunning landscapes and interesting cultural sightseeing. And the best thing is: you get all of this for a really good price, because Georgia is one of the cheapest countries when you are traveling on a budget. Major touristic areas like Tbilisi or Batumi are a bit more expensive for example for accommodations or restaurants but it’s still less than in many other east european countries.

Is Georgia expensive? What do I have to pay for food, hotels or transport? If you are planning to travel to this wonderful country you will find the answers to your money questions in this guide.

ULTIMATE GEORGIA TRAVEL BUDGET GUIDE

There are 3 international airports in Georgia: Kutaisi International Airport, Tbilisi International Airport, and Batumi International Airport. If you want to save money and book a cheap flight you will probably fly to Kutaisi. Most of the budget airlines like the popular WIZZ Air start and land there and not in Tbilisi. 

WIZZ AIR

Flight prices always depend on different factors and changes every day. For WIZZ AIR flights you can expect prices about 60 Pounds from England or 50 Euro from Germany. Please note, these are prices before Corona. After 2020 they may be changed. Check the WIZZ AIR Website for current price details and flight availability.

Useful informations for WIZZ AIR flights: 

• Book very early, like two months ahead if possible, to get the best rates.
• Luggage allowance is limited, and you might end up paying for some extra luggage yourself.
• It does not fly to all the major countries
• Countries with direct flights; Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and UAE.

TURKISH AIRLINES

The most popular airline for getting into Georgia through Tbilisi Airport and Batumi Airport is Turkish Airlines, as they offer one of the best rates. To check current prices after Corona please visit the website.

Useful informations for Turkish Airlines flights:

• There is always a layover at Turkey
• The luggage allowance is enough most of the time
• They fly to almost all countries

Regarding tourist visas Georgia is a very travel friendly destination. A lot of countries from the EU, South Africa, South America, Oceania and Central Asia are allowed to stay in the Republic of Georgia visa free up to 3 months or longer. For example if you are from Germany you can stay even 1 year. So you have no costs for getting a visa in advance. To check if your country has a visit free allowance to Georgia, check the official website for foreign affairs.

As a tourist you probably spend a big share of your travel budget for accommodations. On average about 41% of your total travel expenses. In Georgia you can find low budget hotels, medium class and of course luxury class accommodations. See below the average cost of every category. The best hotel recommendations for every category you can find here.

Georgia offers a good choice of hostels mostly in the bigger cities like Tbilisi or Batumi. As a backpacker, traveling on buget, this is the cheapest option to choose. The prices are similar to the ones in Asia, like Thailand or Vietnam. Dorm prices start from 15 GEL per night, for about 40 GEL you get a dorm bed in really good hostels. Smaller cities often don’t have hostels. The cheapest option for these places is to book a single room in a small guest house. You get a low budget single room for about 40 GEL. (Winter destinations like Gudauri can be more expensive)

If you want to spend a medium price for your accommodation you can book a hotel, a guest house or apartments. Guest houses are usually cheaper than hotels. Apartments are very popular and they are also a good choice for a medium budget especially in Tbilisi. The price for a cheap private apartment starts at around 30 GEL, for high standard apartments the price is about 100-200 GEL. Guest houses start from 30 GEL, for 80 GEL you get a really good guest house, for 120 GEL a 3-star hotel. (sometimes also a 4 star hotel).

For luxury hotels you have an open end price range. High standard 4-star-hotels start from 300 GEL and can go up to 1.000 GEL. Winter resorts often have higher prices than the same hotel categories in other cities.

If you are looking for good accommodations on your georgian travel itinerary you have several options to find them:

• Visit our recommendations here on the ᐅ Georgia Road Trip Website
• ᐅ Booking.com – Biggest international website to find hotels, guest houses and more
• Hostelword.com – Popular website to find Low Budget accommodations
• AirBnB – Best option to find apartments
• Facebook Groups and Instagram pages 
• myhome.ge

Georgia offers a wide range of transportation options. From city to city you can travel by bus, train or if you are looking for more comfort, with a private driver. Within Tbilisi you can use mini-buses, normal buses, the metro or taxi. Public transportation is cheap (starts from 0,50 GEL) and even taxis have a reasonable price in Tbilisi (5 GEL). Depending on how many days you are traveling and who often you will change the city, transportation should not be the biggest share from your travel budget. For more details and prices check out our Georgia transportation blog articles.

Food is cheap in Georgia. You can buy food products at big supermarkets like Carrefour, at small local stores or when it comes to vegetables and fresh products on local markets like the Dezerter Market. If your travel budget for Georgia is low and you don’t want to eat in restaurants very often buying food is the best option. In comparison to other foods, dairy products are expensive. 

Georgia is a great destination for food lovers. The local cuisine is delicious and you can find a lot of georgian and international restaurants especially in big cities like Tbilisi. Even if your travel budget is low you should visit local georgian restaurants on your trip.

Local food restaurants are cheap. You can find them in the bigger cities but also in smaller towns. They usually serve a wide range of georgian meals, like Khinkali, Khachapuri, Lobio and more. The prices are cheap. You get a full meal from 6 GEL – 20 GEL. For a local beer you pay around 3-4 GEL, a glass of georgian wine 7-9 GEL

In Tbilisi there are a lot of international restaurants. You can find burgers, pizza, sushi and much more. In general the prices are higher than for local food but compared to other countries it’s still a reasonable price. Drinks are also 1-2 GEL more than in local restaurants.

It’s advisable to buy a georgian SIM Card when you travel a lot through the country. You should spend a share of your Georgia travel budget for it, it’s worth it. The mobile data coverage is very good and there are three popular providers. I recommend MAGTI. You can find the stores everywhere and they offer good packages for tourists. Depending on how many days you will stay in the country the prices start from 5 GEL (1,20 Euro / 1,50 USD). For 30 GEL (7,50 Euro / 9,5 USD) you get 20 MB of mobile data, which is in opinion the best deal. Please note: If you buy your SIM Card directly at the airport the prices can be higher.

Many parks and sight-seeing centers are for free, but some charge an entrance fee like the georgian museums. The average cost to most museums or other tourist attractions like the Cave or the Zoo are within 3 GEL- 5 GEL. Kids attractions at the Mtatsminda Amusement Park are 1-5 GEL.

Vardzia Caves: 7 GEL

Uplistsikhe: 7 GEL

Rabat Castle:  5 GEL

You can do a lot of cool day trips from Tbilisi or other georgian cities by your own. Go on a road trip from one city to another, it’s fun! Second option is to book an organized tour. The offer of organized trips depends on the season, as most of the fun places are closed during winter. Most tours start in Tbilisi. There are some tourist offices in the city (for example near Liberty Square or Metekhi Bridge). Depending on the destination and travel time the tours cost around  20 GEL– 60 GEL. What places are worth visiting for a day trip you can read at the blog article ᐅ Day Trips from Tbilisi.

If you want to visit the places around Tbilisi by your own booking a scooter is a good option. (Get more rental information here). If you look for more comfort, book a private driver. 

Tbilisi is a great nightlife city. The capital of Georgia offers a lot of clubs, bars and restaurants where you can spend your evening or the whole night. Most of the clubs do not have an entrance fee. You can get on for free and just pay for your drinks. Karaoke Bars are also very popular and a nice thing to do at night.

Average prices for drinks vary from 5 GEL for a beer up to 7-9 GEL for a long drink or cocktail. 

Do you like craft beer? ᐅᐅ Check out the best craft beer bars in Tbilisi

No holiday without bringing back at least a small souvenir.  You can find georgian souvenir shops all around. At the Tbilisi airport as well as in the city. A good tip to get souvenirs at good prices in Tbilisi are the stores under the metro and some other local markets. There you sometimes get things cheaper than in the official souvenir stores. Souvenir example prices: Fridge Magnet: 3 GEL – 4 GEL, Cup: 10 GEL – 12 GEL. Also a good idea: Buy a bottle of good georigan wine in a wine shop.