After nearly four months of traveling through Europe, Megan’s Schengen days were getting perilously low, so it was time to move on. At the end of September, we flew to Tbilisi and spent the next two and a half weeks in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus is such a neat region; we did one day trip in each country, but mostly we soaked up the culture of the capital cities (Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku). We would love to go back some day and explore more of the mountains and rural areas in the region.
Overall, the Caucasus is an extremely affordable region for tourists. As mentioned above, we only stayed in the capitals of each country, so prices may be slightly different outside the cities of these countries.
Georgia (Tbilisi): $902.42
Transportation: $2.36
Although we prefer to walk when we can, we did use the metro for a few longer rides in Tbilisi. A 1.5-hour ride (you can take as many buses or trains as you want within 1.5 hours) is only 50 tetri (0.5 GEL, or about 17 cents), so our transportation costs were very low. Average: $0.30/day.
Lodging: $291.81
We stayed at an Airbnb in Old Tbilisi for our first few nights in Georgia before moving to a hotel (Communal Hotel Sololaki) to splurge for Jonathan’s (30th!!!) birthday. The hotel was $81.41/night, which was a steal considering the high quality of the hotel and the amazing breakfast it included. We spent our last few evenings in Tbilisi at a small guesthouse across the river to explore a different part of the city. Even with our hotel splurge, lodging was extremely affordable. Without the hotel stay, lodging would have averaged only $21.50/night, which is pretty amazing for two people in a private room with a private bathroom. Average: $36.48/night.
Eating out: $300.35
Okay, I knew food in Tbilisi was a good value, but I didn’t realize it was this good! Running these numbers can be pretty surprising. 🙂 We ate out for every single meal in Tbilisi, with multiple courses, and usually with wine! We also went to a fancy white-tablecloth restaurant for Jonathan’s birthday, where we ordered our own entrees (we often split food) and got a whole bottle of wine. Even after all this good eatin’, we spent less than $20 USD per person per day. That’s pretty amazing. Average: $37.54/day.
Treats: $40.52
We like treats, so this category includes any coffee, dessert or alcohol that was not purchased as part of a meal (or a grocery run). There are many great cafes in Tbilisi, and we spent a good chunk of time catching up on work and blogging in coffeeshops and bookstores throughout the city. Average: $5.07/day.
Groceries/household items: $15.04
As mentioned above, we ate out for all our meals in Tbilisi, so this total just includes a few drinks we bought to keep in our apartment and snacks for the overnight train. Average: $1.88/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $185.45
We treated ourselves with a visit to the Orbeliani Baths on Jonathan’s birthday, which accounted for about half of our entertainment expenses (~$99 USD). We rented a private room with hot and cold baths and a sauna for two hours, plus we rented towels and each got a massage. You can experience the sulfur baths for much cheaper by going to a public bath (only 5 GEL for an hour) or going to Orbeliani but renting a simpler room. Also, we opted to rent a room for two hours, but one hour probably would have been enough, especially if you need to cut costs. Other entertainment costs included tipping our free walking tour guide in Tbilisi, enjoying an afternoon of wine tasting at Karalashvili Wine Cellar (11 wines for $6? yes please!), and taking a day trip to Kakheti (one of the major wine regions in Georgia). The day trip was extremely affordable at only $20.40 USD/person, plus about $10 USD total in additional fees for optional wine tastings on the trip. Average: $23.18/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $13.13
In addition to our usual postcards and stamps, we bought some local honey on our wine tasting trip. Jonathan also found a small zippered pouch to replace the one he left on a ferry (oops!) for holding his beloved noise-cancelling earbuds. Average: $1.64/day.
Travel insurance: $53.76
We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.72/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Georgia total: $112.80/day = $56.40/person per day
Armenia (Yerevan): $458.46
Transportation: $8.91
Yerevan also had a very affordable metro system, which we only used twice. We also took a taxi to the genocide memorial and to a brandy tasting factory; otherwise, we were able to walk everywhere. (The main train station is also walkable from the city center; we did it once the day we arrived.) Average: $1.78/day.
Lodging: $69.68
The first place we stayed in Yerevan (a simple but friendly guesthouse) was not available for our entire stay, unfortunately, so we moved to a hostel for our last two nights. The hostel was pretty uninspiring, but it was in a nice location very close to many good cafes. Average: $17.42/night.
Eating out: $220.66
We noticed while in Yerevan that restaurants were slightly more expensive than in Tbilisi, but we still can’t complain about any of the prices. We treated ourselves to one nice dinner with a bottle of sparkling wine while in Yerevan, which upped our average daily spending a bit. Average: $44.13/day.
Treats: $41.98
We like treats, so this category includes any coffee, dessert or alcohol that was not purchased as part of a meal (or a grocery run). We also visited many coffeeshops in Yerevan, and we had drinks by the Cascade. Average: $8.40/day.
Groceries/household items: $5.97
Small snacks and drinks. Average: $1.19/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $73.67
While in Yerevan, we took a free walking tour and visited the NOY Brandy Factory (Jonathan did the tour with a tasting, Megan opted for just the tour). Megan also visited the Matenadaran, a manuscript museum in Yerevan, and we took a half-day trip to Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, both located outside the city. Average: $14.73/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $3.99
Postcards again, plus Jonathan bought another pouch for his headphones (the one he purchased in Tbilisi was a little small). Average: $0.80/day.
Travel insurance: $33.60
We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.72/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Armenia total: $91.69/day = $45.85/person per day
Azerbaijan (Baku): $406.43
Transportation: $0
As much as we appreciate a good metro system, our legs are the best form of transportation. 😉 Average: $0/day.
Lodging: $54.30
We stayed at a small Airbnb about 20 minutes walking from the central area and Old Town of Baku. Amazing value! Average: $13.58/night.
Eating out: $151.53
As with the rest of the Caucasus, we ate out a lot in Azerbaijan and it was very affordable. We often had wine and/or beer with our meals but still managed to spend less than $20 USD/person each day. Our most expensive meal was a “traditional breakfast” for two at a touristy restaurant in Old Town, which ran us about $39 USD. Average: $37.88/day.
Treats: $27.20
We like treats, so this category includes any coffee, dessert or alcohol that was not purchased as part of a meal (or a grocery run). In addition to several coffeeshop visits (Caffe Giusto was our favorite!), Jonathan also satisfied a McFlurry craving in Baku. Average: $6.80/day.
Groceries/household items: $17.73
On our first day in Baku, we found a great grocery store by our Airbnb. We stocked up on small breakfast items and got the makings for a robust cheese plate (our favorite go-to meal at “home”). Average: $4.43/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $74.71
In addition to tipping our free walking tour guide in Baku, we paid $30 each for a half-day trip outside the city to see the Atashgah Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Yanar Dag (the “burning mountain”). We booked the tour through a local tourism agency in Old Town. Average: $18.68/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $0
Because Azerbaijan confiscated our Armenia postcard at the border, we decided not to buy a postcard in Azerbaijan. Ha! (Also, all the postcards we found were really ugly, so we decided just to skip it. But I think the petty vengeance story is better.) Average: $0/day.
Travel insurance: $26.88
We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.72/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Other: $54.08
Our visas to Azerbaijan cost $24 USD each, plus we paid a small amount (0.10 GEL/page) to print the visas while in Tbilisi. In Baku, Jonathan found a nearby gym, which he likes to take advantage of when the day passes are reasonably priced. Average: $13.52/day.
Azerbaijan total: $101.61/day = $50.80/person per day
The above totals only represent days spent entirely in one city in order to clearly delineate the costs of each city. We also spent $231.68 on our travel days to each city (including overnight train tickets, travel insurance and food), which averaged $77.23/day.
Total: $1,998.99 = $99.95/day = $49.97/person* per day
*Did you know we have a new page on the blog completely dedicated to Money & Budgeting? Check it out! We also list our country-specific costs on this page, but those numbers might differ a bit from the numbers shown here. The numbers in our detailed budgeting posts (like this one) are a true reflection of what we personally spent on our trip. The numbers on the Money & Budgeting page are meant to reflect what a typical tourist traveling at our comfort level can expect to spend.
For example, when I was calculating the daily cost for Georgia for our Money & Budgeting page, I replaced the costs for our birthday splurges with more reasonable expenses (i.e. the hotel for an Airbnb, our experience at Orbeliani Baths with a simpler private room for only one hour). For Yerevan, because we spent five days but only four nights in the city, I added in another night of the average cost of lodging. I also subtract our travel insurance expenses from these figures (as you may have different travel insurance, or may be covered under your credit card) and gifts/souvenirs (as these numbers are so personal depending on your shopping tastes).
Of course, you can always spend far less (or far more) than the numbers listed here or on our Money & Budgeting page. These figures are provided as a loose guide to help you plan travels within your budget range.
Feature image: The Cascade in Yerevan, Armenia
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