Tbilisi or Yerevan: Which is Better to Live In? Personal Experience of a Megaplan Employee
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 6:41 am
Fibi's Safe Cafe Has Russian Owners Among the Russians who left, Tbilisi and Yerevan became some of the most popular cities. A Megaplan employee lived in both cities and shared her impressions: she told how much it costs to live there, where the food is tastier and how the locals treat Russians.
In the fall, my friend and I came to Georgia — we always wanted to try living in other countries, compare sensations, comfort levels, and travel in general. And closer to winter, we moved to Armenia, where we were invited by friends who were there and lured us with delivery services that were familiar to us, working Russian cards, and the wonderful attitude of the locals.
Rent a house
We arrived in Georgia in October 2022. When we were looking for an apartment, it was uganda whatsapp list the peak time for renting a place to live, and the cost of decent housing in Tbilisi started at about $1,000. Anything lower was either in a really bad neighborhood or one that we just didn't want to live in. We found some guys on a Telegram channel with whom we ended up renting an apartment for a few months, paying $500 per room. We were lucky with our neighbors — a cool designer guy and a photographer girl. Prices in Tbilisi have gotten lower now. You can find a good apartment in a decent neighborhood for about $700.
Axis Towers in Vake district, Tbilisi
Axis Towers in Vake district, Tbilisi
In Armenia, apartments are more expensive, especially now, given the changed exchange rate. In December 2022, when we arrived in Yerevan, we found a modern apartment in a good area not far from the center for 300 thousand drams. When we moved in, it was about 45 thousand rubles. And at the current exchange rate, it is about 64 thousand rubles.
Also, in Armenia, heating prices are high in winter; monthly utilities cost us 50 thousand drams (10 thousand rubles).
The quality of apartments in Armenia is currently worse in the same price range of ~700–900 $ (270–350 thousand drams). Georgia has more modern apartments for this amount. There are also good apartments in Armenia, but they cost from 350–400 thousand drams and higher.
View near the building of the Ararat cognac factory
View near the building of the Ararat cognac factory
Hotels in Armenia are also very expensive, we had to stay in them a couple of times when we moved. And the prices did not match the quality at all. The cheapest and more or less in appearance rooms cost about 15 thousand drams (3 thousand rubles) per night. The room where we lived had worn carpets with stains and cigarette marks, old furniture.
Food
In Georgia, there were problems with vegetables and fruits. Even in large supermarkets in Tbilisi, it was difficult to find some products of good quality. For example, I often came across rotten potatoes, it was difficult to find broccoli, cauliflower. There were also problems with meat - it is sold frozen, and it is difficult to find fresh. In Yerevan, there is no such problem at all: there is everything here. And there are a lot of Russian products in the stores. Prices in Yerevan are lower than in Tbilisi, but higher than in Moscow. For example, eggs cost 200 rubles, chicken fillet - 500 rubles, lactose-free milk Parmalat - 200 rubles.
In Tbilisi, we liked, of course, khinkali and khachapuri, as well as chikhirtma and chkmeruli from local dishes. The taste of khinkali is much richer than in Moscow. And in Yerevan, dolma, kebabs and various local snacks are very tasty.
In the fall, my friend and I came to Georgia — we always wanted to try living in other countries, compare sensations, comfort levels, and travel in general. And closer to winter, we moved to Armenia, where we were invited by friends who were there and lured us with delivery services that were familiar to us, working Russian cards, and the wonderful attitude of the locals.
Rent a house
We arrived in Georgia in October 2022. When we were looking for an apartment, it was uganda whatsapp list the peak time for renting a place to live, and the cost of decent housing in Tbilisi started at about $1,000. Anything lower was either in a really bad neighborhood or one that we just didn't want to live in. We found some guys on a Telegram channel with whom we ended up renting an apartment for a few months, paying $500 per room. We were lucky with our neighbors — a cool designer guy and a photographer girl. Prices in Tbilisi have gotten lower now. You can find a good apartment in a decent neighborhood for about $700.
Axis Towers in Vake district, Tbilisi
Axis Towers in Vake district, Tbilisi
In Armenia, apartments are more expensive, especially now, given the changed exchange rate. In December 2022, when we arrived in Yerevan, we found a modern apartment in a good area not far from the center for 300 thousand drams. When we moved in, it was about 45 thousand rubles. And at the current exchange rate, it is about 64 thousand rubles.
Also, in Armenia, heating prices are high in winter; monthly utilities cost us 50 thousand drams (10 thousand rubles).
The quality of apartments in Armenia is currently worse in the same price range of ~700–900 $ (270–350 thousand drams). Georgia has more modern apartments for this amount. There are also good apartments in Armenia, but they cost from 350–400 thousand drams and higher.
View near the building of the Ararat cognac factory
View near the building of the Ararat cognac factory
Hotels in Armenia are also very expensive, we had to stay in them a couple of times when we moved. And the prices did not match the quality at all. The cheapest and more or less in appearance rooms cost about 15 thousand drams (3 thousand rubles) per night. The room where we lived had worn carpets with stains and cigarette marks, old furniture.
Food
In Georgia, there were problems with vegetables and fruits. Even in large supermarkets in Tbilisi, it was difficult to find some products of good quality. For example, I often came across rotten potatoes, it was difficult to find broccoli, cauliflower. There were also problems with meat - it is sold frozen, and it is difficult to find fresh. In Yerevan, there is no such problem at all: there is everything here. And there are a lot of Russian products in the stores. Prices in Yerevan are lower than in Tbilisi, but higher than in Moscow. For example, eggs cost 200 rubles, chicken fillet - 500 rubles, lactose-free milk Parmalat - 200 rubles.
In Tbilisi, we liked, of course, khinkali and khachapuri, as well as chikhirtma and chkmeruli from local dishes. The taste of khinkali is much richer than in Moscow. And in Yerevan, dolma, kebabs and various local snacks are very tasty.