Key information about Tbilisi

Population

1,108,700

Country

Georgia

Money

Currency	GEL - Georgian Lari (₾)
Exchange rate	1 USD = 2.94 GEL
ATM fees	1-2% (plus your own bank's fees)
Credit cards	Accepted everywhere
Tipping	10% usually included in bill, not expected at bars or cafés.

Airport

Main airport

Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)

Airport to city center

Bus #37 (0.50 GEL), Taxi (30-50 GEL), Train - only 2 trains a day (0.50 GEL)

Other options

Kutaisi has the city's second largest international airport (KUT) and is about 4-5 hours from Tbilisi by rail and road.

Transportation

Taxi apps

Yandex, Bolt

Public transportation

Bus: 0.5 GEL per ride with Metromoney card
Minibus: 0.8 GEL per ride with Metromoney card
Metro: 0.5 GEL per ride with Metromoney card
Train: Cost depends on destination. Buy ticket at train station.

Getting around

For buses, metro, and minibuses the "Metromoney" card can be purchased for 2 GEL at any station and recharged there also. Train tickets can be bought at the Central Station.

SIM card

Best options

Magti GSM, Geocell, Beeline

Expected cost

12 GEL for 5GB of data valid for 1 month

How to buy

You can buy a SIM card in Tbilisi at any mobile network branch for about 5 GEL. Passport needed.

Language

Official language(s)

Georgian

Level of English

Low

Food

Tap water	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Cuisine of the Caucasus meets regional diversity in Georgia. Emphasis on spices and meats (poultry, beef, pork and mutton) as well as soups and creams.
Local food specialities	Kachapuri, kuchmachi, khinkali, chikhirtma, kharcho with gomi, jonjoli
Eat like a local	Small local restaurants, open bars, terraces and wine bars
Vegetarian / vegan options	10 options on Happy Cow
Food delivery apps	Wolt, Glovo
Supermarkets	Goodwill: Easily found across the city and with good prices and variety of local and imported goods, this is a favorite among locals and expats. SmartLarge stores across the city with good organic and "safe produce" standards. Higher prices reflect good variety and service. Nikora: Found almost everywhere in town, Georgia's largest supermarket chain offers a variety of goods at reasonable prices. Good local and fresh produce options. Spar: With a wider presence in Georgia, Spar offers a wide range of imported and local goods at reasonable prices in stores easily accessible around the city. Not so great for higher-end goods or fresh produce. Carrefour**: Larger stores with higher prices containing a range of good branded local and imported goods, fresh produce and bakery.