Georgia is still one of the great budget reunion frontiers. A meal with wine for three at a tablecloth restaurant comes in under 50 EUR total. A guesthouse room is 30-40 EUR. The flights are increasingly cheap from EU hubs.
Cheap Beds That Don't Feel Cheap
Fabrika's hostel side has private rooms in a converted Soviet sewing factory - cool, central, around 30-50 EUR for a private double. Communal Hotel chain is the design-led mid-range pick around 50-70 EUR. Sololaki has small guesthouses in beautiful old buildings for 40 EUR if you book ahead.
The 5 EUR Lunch
Khinkali (the soup dumplings) at Velo Cafe or any neighborhood spot - 1 GEL each, you eat 6, drink a beer, leave for under 15 GEL (5 EUR). Khachapuri, the cheese bread, is similar. Lunch sets at Shavi Lomi run 25-35 GEL for a multi-plate Georgian feast.
Cheap Days That Feel Like A Holiday
Sulphur bath public sessions are 5-10 GEL per person. Botanical Garden is 4 GEL. The Mtatsminda funicular up to the park with the city view is 3 GEL. A marshrutka to Mtskheta (the old capital, an hour away) is 2 GEL and includes one of the best monasteries in the Caucasus.
Practical Notes
- Daily budget
- 35-50 EUR per person
- Currency
- GEL, ATMs widely available
- Recommended stay
- 3-4 nights
