There are many reasons to travel. Some say it’s about seeing the beauty of new places. Others say it’s about tasting the variety of local cuisines. Some travel to relax on peaceful beaches, while others see it as a way to pursue physical activities. All true. And the beauty of Tbilisi in particular is truly stunning – see the pictures below.
However, there’s one reason to travel that I find most important: learning how people live and think elsewhere tells me something about the life I live in my own country. That’s why it was such a privilege to spend last evening with locals and get answers to many of my questions – questions that might be summed up by one: What is life like in Tbilisi?
Here are some numbers: 3 Georgian Lari are worth roughly 1 EUR / 1.17 USD. The average income/month of a moderately qualified worker (for example, a tailor or a cook) in Tbilisi is about 2000 Lari → 630 EUR / 740 USD, some have even a lot less than that, for examples waiters who often get less than 1000 Lari → 340 EUR / 380 USD . The average rent/month for a one-room apartment in a decent but not fancy part of the city is around 800 Lari → 250 EUR / 300 USD. Utilities (energy, water, etc.) cost about 100 Lari → 30 EUR / 40 USD per month.
At first glance, that doesn’t sound too bad. However, I was surprised by grocery prices. On average, a person needs about 1000 Lari → 300 EUR / 370 USD per month for food. That’s because – so it seems – most groceries are imported. Today I saw fruits from Iran, Turkey, and of course Russia, cheese from Finland, butter from Poland, cereals from Germany and jam from France. Transport costs to ship these products to Georgia make them expensive. And quite a few items are marked with special labels indicating they come from Europe, suggesting higher quality. For example, supermarkets sell milk from German supermarket chains as the most expensive option. Georgian products are rare, since local producers often can’t supply enough goods. And farmers often don’t grow potatoes anymore because they simply can’t live on it. On top of that, there are free-trade agreements with the EU and countries like Turkey and Russia – all of which make groceries very easy to import. So if one wants to buy Georgian products it’s places like the Dezerter Bazaar, where locals sell groceries to locals.
To sum up: basic monthly needs amount to roughly 1900 Lari, while the average income is only 2000 Lari, in many cases even less than 1000 Lari. And even if people can cover the main living expenses: It’s easy to see that this leaves little room for anything else – clothes, insurance, transportation, phone bills, or unexpected expenses like a broken washing machine. Not to mention small luxuries such as a concert ticket or a trip to the Black Sea. In other words, it’s almost impossible to make ends meet.
This is especially true for elderly people, whose pensions average just 300 (!) Lari, and for students who pay around 1000 Lari per month in tuition fees. Many of them work several jobs, essentially 24/7. But still – how do people manage to get by?
Here’s how:
A) Often, several generations live together, sharing the costs of housing and food.
B) Many people own their homes, saving on rent.
C) A large number of Georgians live abroad, mainly in Europe. Some sources say up to one-third of the Georgian population resides outside the country, and many send money back home to support their families.
D) People often have side jobs. None of the drivers I met over the past few days worked only as drivers – they were also sailors, students, or manual workers.
E) “In Georgia, everybody has a business,” one of my conversation partners said last night. People earn extra money by selling their own products or services. It’s relatively easy to do so here – the country is friendly to entrepreneurs. For example, small businesses only have to pay one percent of their profit in taxes until they start earning real money.
So, what does all this mean for people in Georgia? It depends. Some are content with their often difficult economic situation – many of them belong to the 50+ generation. But young people, who are more aware of living conditions in Central and Western Europe, often dream of leaving to find a better life abroad. And it’s not just about the economy. It’s also about moral values that some find hard to accept.
For instance, some young women in Georgia complain about gender roles. They say: “Many Georgian men believe they are better than women, one way or another. Whenever there’s a decision to make that affects both partners, the man simply decides without asking his girlfriend or wife – because he believes he knows better.” Sadly, that’s not only a Georgian phenomenon. Still, the complaint was voiced quite clearly.
One last thing and quite important: I heard many complaints about the country’s situation – not only economic ones. And yet, what struck me was how people constantly spoke in terms of “we”: “we do this,” “we think that” – there was always a „we“. So despite the criticism, there’s a deep sense of pride and love for the country.
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So eye opening and interesting to learn about other countries/cultures. Thanks for sharing this!
Than your for the comment!
Beautiful photos I enjoyed seeing
Thankyou!
In fact the pictures take more time than anything else – I appreciate the comment!