Cost of living in Batumi in 2026: rent, utilities and food against local wages

Key figures

• Average gross wage in Adjara, the region that includes Batumi: GEL 2,082.8 a month in Q2 2026, up 13.4% year on year (Geostat).
• Estimated take-home pay at that wage: about GEL 1,633 (our calculation after the 2% pension contribution and 20% income tax).
• Asking rent for a 40 m² flat: about GEL 1,100 in Batumi's inner and peripheral districts and GEL 1,235–1,276 in Old Batumi and the New Boulevard area (Galt & Taggart, Q2 2026 report).
• Utilities for a small flat: roughly GEL 45 a month in summer and GEL 85 in a gas-heated winter month (our estimate from published tariffs).
• Geostat's subsistence minimum for a working-age man: GEL 283.3 a month (December 2025, the latest official figure).

Put together, a single person on the average Adjara wage who rents alone spends about 70% of take-home pay on housing and is left with roughly GEL 165–205 after basic needs. A couple with two average wages spends about 36%. The figures below explain where these numbers come from and what they mean for tenants, people moving to Batumi and landlords.

Wages in Batumi and Adjara

Geostat does not publish wages for Batumi separately, but the Adjara figure is a close proxy because most of the region's employees work in the city. In the second quarter of 2026 the average gross monthly wage there was GEL 2,082.8. That is 13.4% more than a year earlier and faster growth than in Tbilisi, yet still about a quarter below the capital's GEL 2,758.5. Geostat's wage tables also show that the national median wage in 2025 was GEL 1,531, so a typical employee earns noticeably less than the average.

At the National Bank of Georgia's official rates for 10 November 2026, GEL 2,082.8 is about €715, $803 or 3,143 zloty gross. The estimated net pay of GEL 1,633 is about €561 or 2,464 zloty. Our net estimate assumes a standard employment contract and no other deductions.

Rent: what a flat costs by district

Galt & Taggart's Q2 2026 Batumi report gives monthly asking rents per square metre by district. It is the firm's latest district breakdown: its eight-month overview published on 5 November 2026 does not update monthly rents, so with rents rising, today's asking rents are probably a few per cent higher. We multiplied them by typical flat sizes and converted to lari at USD 1 = GEL 2.5936.

These are asking rents for long-term lets, not signed contracts, and the report does not cover Makhinjauri, Gonio-Kvariati or the Alley of Heroes. Rents are also rising: in Georgia's consumer price index, actual rentals for housing were 12.8% higher in October 2026 than a year earlier, more than twice headline inflation of 5.9% (Geostat).

Batumi has a second rental market that competes for the same flats. Galt & Taggart puts the average daily rate for short stays at $38.4 in January–August 2026, based on AirDNA data. Because many owners can earn more from summer bookings, tenants looking for a year-long lease should agree the term and any seasonal conditions in writing.

Utilities: published tariffs and a sample bill

Tariffs as compiled by HomeRadar's guide to Batumi ownership costs. The band is set by the month's total consumption.

For one person in a small flat using 150 kWh of electricity, 5 m³ of water and 10 m³ of gas, the bill comes to about GEL 45 a month. In a winter month with gas heating at 80 m³ it rises to about GEL 85. Internet, mobile and the building fee come on top; in a new complex the fee alone can add GEL 100 or more for a 40–45 m² flat. These are our illustrations, not an average bill. Gas tariffs are also due to be revised by the regulator in December 2026.

Food and everyday basics

There is no official price list for Batumi groceries, but Geostat's subsistence minimum is a useful floor: it estimates the monthly cost of a minimum consumer basket, mostly food. The latest official figure, for December 2025, is GEL 283.3 for a working-age man; Geostat has not updated the series since January 2026. Prices have kept rising since: headline inflation reached 5.9% in October 2026, transport costs were up 21.9% and housing, water, electricity and gas 10.1%. A realistic food budget for an adult who cooks at home will be above this minimum, and eating out regularly costs considerably more.

A monthly budget on the average Adjara wage

The conclusion is clear: on one average local wage, renting a separate flat in Batumi is barely possible. That is why many local tenants share, live with family or rent on the outskirts, while flats in the centre are rented mainly by dual-income households, people paid from abroad and seasonal guests.

Is Batumi cheaper than Tbilisi?

Not for a local tenant. Asking rents in Batumi's inner districts ($10.6/m²) are slightly below Tbilisi's average ($11.3/m² in September 2026, up about 16% in a year, according to Galt & Taggart), but wages in Adjara are about 25% lower. A 40 m² flat takes about 53% of the average gross wage in Batumi and about 42% in Tbilisi. For someone earning in euros or zloty, both cities are inexpensive; for someone earning the local average, Batumi is the harder of the two.

Renting or buying

Galt & Taggart puts the average price of a turnkey new flat in Batumi at $1,986 per m² in August 2026, up 11.2% in a year, and a flat in a post-2013 building on the secondary market at $1,614 per m² (eight-month overview, November 2026). A 40 m² flat therefore costs about $64,600 on the secondary market, equal to 6.7 years of the average Adjara gross wage, or about $79,400 new, equal to 8.2 years. Gross rental yield was 7.1%. For local buyers, a mortgage, family savings or a second income is usually essential.

For foreign buyers who earn elsewhere, the question is different: what a flat will cost to run when it is empty and what a long-term tenant can realistically pay. The HomeRadar price index tracks asking prices in new developments, and the ownership-cost guide linked above sets out building fees and utilities.

What it means

For people moving to Batumi with foreign income, a one-bedroom flat and utilities typically cost GEL 1,145–1,360 a month, around €390–470. Agree the lease term in writing and ask whether the building charges a service fee.

For local tenants, rents rising faster than inflation mean renewals deserve negotiation: compare the proposed rent with current offers for similar flats nearby.

For landlords, local wages cap what a long-term tenant can pay. A plan that assumes central rents of more than half the average wage relies on dual-income or foreign tenants, so allow for vacancy.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to live in Batumi per month?

For one person renting a 40 m² flat, housing and utilities come to about GEL 1,145–1,360 a month depending on district and season. Add food (Geostat's minimum is GEL 283 per adult), transport, internet and personal spending.

How much is rent for a one-bedroom flat in Batumi?

About GEL 1,100 for 40 m² in inner districts and GEL 1,235–1,276 in Old Batumi and the New Boulevard area, based on Galt & Taggart's Q2 2026 asking rents.

How much are utility bills in Batumi?

Roughly GEL 45 a month for a small flat in summer and GEL 85 in a gas-heated winter month, before internet and any building service fee.

What is the average salary in Batumi?

Geostat reports GEL 2,082.8 gross a month for Adjara in Q2 2026, about GEL 1,633 after tax by our estimate.