Pros and Cons of Living in Tbilisi, Georgia

We have been living in Georgia since January 2018 and I wanted to share my impressions after three years of expat experience. If you are at the decision stage about moving to Georgia, I think this article might be useful for you. Of course, everyone’s experience can be different but in general, you will have an idea about the good and bad sides of living in Georgia. Here are the pros and cons of living in Tbilisi, Georgia from my point of view.

Cost of Living in Tbilisi, Georgia

Important Tips for Living in Tbilisi, Georgia

First I’ll start with the things I like about Georgia.

Georgia is a really beautiful country in general, especially its nature is exceptional. There are many natural parks you can visit. Also, since it is a small country, you can reach many places in a short time.

Traditional cusine is very delicious for our taste. I even miss some of their food when I am not in Georgia. Also, the restaurants are not too expensive so you can taste many dishes.

Georgian Cuisine: Must-Try Georgian Dishes

The Insider’s Guide To Eating Out In Tbilisi

Georgian people generally like to eat, drink and have fun. They are also very hospitable and they make you eat and drink too. 🙂

Their wines are very nice and cheap. The aroma of all wines may not suit your taste, but there is no poor quality wine in this country.

It’s a safe country at all. I’m not afraid of getting robbed or abused as a woman.

It is not a very cheap country, but it is not expensive like the rest of Europe. If you have a normal income then you can definitely live in better conditions here in Tbilisi than Europe.

You can easily continue your life without knowing Georgian language. Most people in Tbilisi speak English.

We are pleased with Internet speed and price is affordable.

There are many 24/7 open pharmacies, markets and exchange offices in Tbilisi.

You can stay in Georgia without a visa for 1 year, so you can live in the country for one year without dealing with residence permit procedures. I live here without a residence permit. 🙂

You can find a housekeeper for your home or a nanny for your children with very affordable prices.

You can find many English spoken kindergartens in Tbilisi and their prices are not expensive.

Tbilisi is a small city, so even if you go to the furthest place, your don’t spend so much time on the road.

Public transportation is very cheap, and if you use the Yandex Go application, then the taxi is also very cheap.

Many fruits and vegetables are grown here, I can say that they are very fresh and tasty.

There are many amazing places to see and very nice instagram-friendly concept cafes in Tbilisi.

Georgian Government strongly support the digital nomads and has launched a program called “Remote from Georgia”. They provide free co-working spaces for them to work.

Now I’ll write the things I don’t like about Georgia.

The country is very small, so travel opportunities are very limited. When you live for a long time, you always have to go to the same places. You also usually see places that are similar to each other, some nature, some churches, that’s all. I may seem very superficial but as I’m originally Turkish and there are endless options in Turkey, Georgia does not satisfy me.

It is not possible to find cheap flight tickets from Tbilisi. There are some very cheap airlines departing from Kutaisi, but you get to Kutaisi in 4 hours, and those flights are only to Europe.

There is no sea in Tbilisi. I mean, there is an artificial lake called Tbilisi sea but it is dirty water. You have to travel 5 hours to reach the closest coast and that is just Black Sea, so there are no turquoise waters in this country.

Georgian is a very strange language, its words are not close to any language, and its alphabet is unlike anything. If it was Latin alphabet, you can google the words even if you don’t know them, but with the Georgian alphabet, this is almost impossible. Although most of the people speak English, sometimes I wish I could read Georgian in grocery stores etc.. On the other hand, I do not want to waste time learning the alphabet and language, as it is not spoken anywhere in the world.

The country’s economy is not very good, salaries are very low. And they usually expect you to speak Georgian and Russian. If you have a dream of finding a job here, the country will disaappoint you.

Shopping options are limited, you cannot find some products and some brands. Also, none of the existing popular brands have an online shopping site in Georgia.

They generally drive badly and make you crazy.

I don’t like the weather, it rains a lot. In summer, temperatures are extremely high and as there is no sea here, I don’t even want to go out of the door.

An Insider’s Guide to Best Instagram spots in Tbilisi

Interesting Facts About Georgia Country

I tried to explain the good and bad sides of living in Georgia. All opinions expressed here are my own, not everyone may think the same. If you are reading this article as a person living in Georgia, I would be very happy if you write what you what you think. If you are reading this article as a person who thinks of moving to Georgia, I hope you will have answers to some of your questions. 😉 I have to say that Georgia has improved a lot, compared to previous years, so I’m sure that many things I complained here will not exist in upcoming years.

Do you live in Georgia or do you plan to live in Georgia? Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or additions.

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