Paying for Everything in Georgia: Your Ultimate Money Guide for Tourists

💰 Click here to see Georgia Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: June, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = ₾2.66

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: ₾80.00 – ₾130.00 ($30.08 – $48.87)

Mid-range: ₾150.00 – ₾300.00 ($56.39 – $112.78)

Comfortable: ₾500.00 – ₾1,000.00 ($187.97 – $375.94)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: ₾20.00 – ₾45.00 ($7.52 – $16.92)

Mid-range hotel: ₾150.00 – ₾240.00 ($56.39 – $90.23)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: ₾15.00 ($5.64)

Mid-range meal: ₾40.00 ($15.04)

Upscale meal: ₾100.00 ($37.59)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: ₾1.00 ($0.38)

Monthly transport pass: ₾40.00 ($15.04)

Georgia has become one of the most visited countries in the region, and the payment landscape has genuinely improved for tourists over the last few years. But 2026 still throws up real friction points — the service charge that isn’t a tip, ATM fees that catch people off guard, and the cold reality that marshrutkas and rural guesthouses remain firmly cash-only. This guide covers every scenario you’ll actually face, with specific figures, app names, and 2026 updates so you’re not piecing it together from outdated forum posts.

The Georgian Lari: What’s in Your Wallet

Georgia’s official currency is the Georgian Lari, written as GEL or symbolised by ₾. One Lari divides into 100 Tetri. The currency was introduced in 1995 and has remained relatively stable, though it does move with broader global economic pressures — check rates in the week before you travel rather than months ahead.

Banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 GEL. The 200 GEL note exists but you’ll rarely see one in circulation, and smaller shops may struggle to break it. The 1 GEL and 2 GEL banknotes have largely been replaced by coins, so don’t be surprised to receive a handful of coins as change for a small purchase.

Coins run from 1 Tetri up to 2 GEL. Worth knowing: the very small denominations — 1, 2, and 5 Tetri — are technically legal tender but many small vendors simply round up or down rather than deal with them. You’ll occasionally get them in change at a supermarket, but don’t expect them at a market stall.

For practical purposes, the notes you’ll use most are 5, 10, 20, and 50 GEL. Make a habit of breaking larger notes whenever you’re in a supermarket or restaurant, so you always have smaller bills ready for marshrutkas, markets, and tip cash. Running around a mountain village trying to break a 100 GEL note for a 5 GEL guesthouse breakfast is not a fun way to start a morning.

Card Payments: What Works, What Doesn’t, and the DCC Trap

In Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, card payments are genuinely convenient. Supermarkets like Carrefour, Goodwill, Nikora, and Zgva all accept cards without issue. Restaurants, hotels, museums, and most retail stores are the same. Visa and Mastercard work everywhere. American Express is accepted at some larger hotels and upmarket restaurants but not reliably elsewhere. Discover and less common card networks are unlikely to work at all.

Contactless is standard. Nearly every POS terminal you encounter will have the tap-to-pay function, and it’s faster and more hygienic than inserting a chip. Apple Pay and Google Pay both work well on compatible terminals — if your card is linked to either, you can pay with your phone or watch with no issues. This has become noticeably more seamless since 2024, with fewer terminal errors and faster processing.

Georgian merchants do not typically charge a surcharge for card payments. However, your home bank might. Many international banks charge a foreign transaction fee of 1–3% on every purchase made in a foreign currency. Check your card’s terms before you travel. If your bank charges these fees, consider opening a fee-free travel card before departure — options like Wise, Revolut, or a dedicated travel debit card from your local bank can save a meaningful amount over a two-week trip.

The biggest trap at card terminals is Dynamic Currency Conversion, or DCC. When you tap or insert your card, the terminal may ask whether you’d like to pay in GEL or in your home currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.). Always choose GEL. When you choose your home currency, the merchant’s bank applies its own exchange rate, which is virtually always worse than your bank’s rate. The difference can be 3–5%. It sounds small, but across a two-week trip of regular card use, it adds up to a genuine loss.

ATMs in Georgia: Which Banks, What Fees, How to Withdraw Smart

Georgia has a solid ATM network. The three banks with the widest coverage are TBC Bank (tbcbank.ge), Bank of Georgia (bankofgeorgia.ge), and Liberty Bank (libertybank.ge). Other banks — Basisbank, ProCredit, and Credo — also operate ATMs and are reliable. In cities, you’ll find ATMs inside bank branches, in shopping centres, at airports, and on main streets. In smaller towns and rural areas, expect fewer machines, and plan accordingly before heading into the mountains.

Fees are where tourists get stung. In 2026, most Georgian banks charge international cardholders a fee per withdrawal, typically in the range of 4–7 GEL per transaction, or a percentage of 1.5–2.5% of the amount withdrawn — whichever is higher. This fee is displayed on the ATM screen before you confirm, so you can see it and cancel if needed. On top of this, your home bank will likely charge its own international withdrawal fee, often equivalent to 5–10 USD or a percentage of the withdrawal.

The practical solution: withdraw larger amounts less frequently. Instead of pulling out 100 GEL three times a week (paying the fee three times), pull out 300 GEL once. The Georgian bank fee stays the same regardless of whether you take 100 or 500 GEL, so make each transaction count. Per-transaction limits for international cards are typically 1,000–2,000 GEL, though your home bank may impose a daily cap that’s lower than that.

Using an ATM is straightforward. Insert your card, select English from the language menu, enter your four-digit PIN, choose withdrawal, select your account type (checking or credit for most international cards), enter the amount in GEL, review the displayed fee, and confirm. Take your cash first, then your card, then your receipt. Use ATMs inside bank branches during opening hours when possible — they’re the safest option and better maintained than standalone street machines.

Cash vs. Card: A Scene-by-Scene Breakdown

Georgia in 2026 is not a fully cashless society, and in many situations, cash is not just convenient — it’s the only option. Knowing which scenario calls for which payment method saves you from awkward moments at a marshrutka station or a Svaneti guesthouse.

Use cash for:

• Marshrutkas — intercity and local minibuses are cash-only, paid directly to the driver. Small notes are essential.
• Street-hailed taxis — always negotiate the fare before getting in, always pay cash.
• Local markets and bazaars — fresh produce, spices, churchkhela, second-hand goods, all cash.
• Small bakeries and kiosks — the place where you grab a hot lobiani from a street window at 7am in Tbilisi’s Old Town is almost certainly cash-only, and the ₾2 coin dropping onto the warm counter is part of the experience.
• Rural guesthouses and village cafes — outside the main tourist trails, card terminals are sparse. If you’re heading to Ushguli, Tusheti, or a remote part of Racha, arrive with enough cash to cover your entire stay.
• Tips for guides and drivers — cash tips are always the right approach.

Use your card for:

• Supermarkets and larger shops
• Sit-down restaurants and cafes in cities
• Hotels and guesthouses with a front desk
• Online train ticket purchases at tickets.railway.ge



• Bolt and Yango rides linked to your card in-app
• Tbilisi metro and buses via direct contactless tap

A practical starting position: keep 50–100 GEL in small notes in your pocket at all times. Before heading out of a city toward rural or mountain areas, increase that to 200–300 GEL minimum, and confirm whether your guesthouse accepts cards before you leave.

Tipping in Georgia: The Service Charge Confusion Explained

This is the section most tourists wish they’d read before sitting down to dinner in Tbilisi. Georgian restaurants frequently add a service charge to the bill — usually between 10% and 18%, with 15% being extremely common. The wording on the bill might say “service” or show the Georgian text for service fee. Here is the critical point: this is not a tip for your server.

The service charge goes to the establishment, not directly into the server’s pocket. If you want to actually reward the person who brought your wine, took your order, and kept things running, leave an additional tip in cash. Five to ten percent on top of the bill total is appropriate for good service. There is typically no way to add a gratuity when paying by card in Georgian restaurants, so always carry a small amount of cash for this purpose.

If the bill arrives with no service charge already added, then a 10% tip for decent service is the standard expectation. Always check the bill before calculating — adding another 15% on top of a bill that already includes a 15% service charge is a common tourist mistake.

For taxis via Bolt or Yango, tipping is not expected but you can add one through the app after the ride. For street-hailed taxis, rounding up to the nearest round number is sufficient. For tour guides and private drivers, the custom is more generous: consider 10–20 GEL per person per day for a guide, and 20–50 GEL per day for a driver, adjusted for the length of the tour and quality of service. For barbers, beauty salons, and similar personal services, tipping is not the norm in Georgia, though it’s always appreciated if the service was exceptional.

Currency Exchange: Where to Get a Fair Rate

USD and EUR give you the best exchange rates in Georgia, with GBP a solid third option. If you’re arriving from a country with a less traded currency, it’s worth converting to USD or EUR before you land, rather than trying to exchange directly at Georgian offices.

The best rates come from independent exchange offices — small booths and shopfronts that display their rates on boards outside. You’ll see them all over Tbilisi, particularly around Rustaveli Avenue, Marjanishvili, and near major transit hubs. In Batumi, the city centre has plenty. Look at the “buy” rate for your currency — that’s how many GEL you receive per unit of your foreign currency. Compare two or three offices on the same street before committing; rates genuinely vary.

The process is simple: hand over your foreign currency, the attendant counts it and gives you GEL, and you count the GEL before leaving the counter. No ID is required for standard tourist amounts, and a receipt is usually available.

Banks also offer exchange, but their rates are consistently a little worse than the street offices. Airports and hotels sit at the bottom of the rate hierarchy — convenient in an emergency, poor value in any other circumstance. The exchange desks at Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport are noticeably worse than the offices you’ll find in the city an hour later.

Never exchange money with individuals approaching you on the street. It’s not a common scam in Georgia, but it does happen, particularly around the central market areas, and there’s no upside to the risk when legitimate offices are steps away.

Paying for Transport: Trains, Marshrutkas, Taxis, and Tbilisi Metro

Transport payments in Georgia vary significantly depending on the mode, so this section runs through each one concretely.

Georgian Railway

Georgian Railway (Sakartvelos Rkinigza) operates the main intercity rail routes, including the popular Tbilisi–Batumi sleeper and the Tbilisi–Kutaisi day trains. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.railway.ge using international credit or debit cards — this is the recommended approach for popular routes, especially in summer and during public holidays when seats sell out. At station ticket offices, both cash and card are accepted. On board the modern Stadler Kiss trains, card may be accepted for refreshments, but carry some cash as a fallback.

Marshrutkas

Marshrutka minibuses are the intercity backbone for routes the railway doesn’t cover, and they run on pure cash. Pay the driver directly, either when you board or sometimes at the end of the journey depending on the route. Keep small notes handy — handing a 50 GEL note for a 15 GEL fare is the quickest way to cause friction. In 2026, typical intercity marshrutka fares range from around 15–20 GEL for Tbilisi to Kutaisi and 25–35 GEL for Tbilisi to Batumi. Within cities where marshrutkas operate, fares sit around 1–2 GEL.

Taxis — Bolt and Yango

In cities, use Bolt or Yango (the rebrand of Yandex Go). Both apps allow you to link an international credit or debit card for cashless payment, show you the fare upfront, and let you track the journey on a map. This eliminates fare negotiation entirely and is safer and more predictable than hailing from the street. Street-hailed taxis are cash-only and require you to agree on a price before the journey starts — always do this, and expect to pay a premium over app prices.

Tbilisi Metro, Buses, and Cable Cars

This is the biggest practical improvement for tourists since 2024. Tbilisi’s metro and buses now widely accept direct contactless bank card payment. Tap your international card on the validator at the metro gate or bus entry — no local card or top-up needed. This rollout was underway by late 2023 and is fully operational across the system by 2026.

The Metromoney card remains available — you can pick one up at metro stations for a 2 GEL deposit and load GEL onto it. One advantage of the Metromoney card is the free transfer benefit: a single fare covers a connected journey across metro and bus within a 90-minute window. With a direct contactless bank card, you pay a separate fare for each leg. If you’re in Tbilisi for more than a few days and using public transport regularly, the Metromoney card is worth the small investment.

A single ride on metro or bus costs 1 GEL. The Rike Park to Narikala cable car also accepts Metromoney and direct contactless bank card payment. The Tbilisi Aerial Tramway to Mtatsminda Park uses the same system.

2026 Budget Reality: What Things Actually Cost

These figures reflect the 2026 price environment across Georgia. Use them as a planning baseline — actual costs depend on your choices, the season, and exchange rate movements.

Daily Spend Per Person

• Budget traveller (hostel dorm, marshrutkas, street food and self-catering, free attractions): 50–80 GEL per day
• Mid-range traveller (private guesthouse room, sit-down restaurants, occasional tours, mix of transport): 100–200 GEL per day
• Comfortable traveller (boutique hotel, wine dinners, private transfers, organised excursions): 250+ GEL per day

Specific Reference Points

• Coffee at a Tbilisi specialty café: 6–10 GEL



• Khachapuri at a local bakery: 4–8 GEL
• Set lunch (business lunch) at a mid-range Tbilisi restaurant: 15–25 GEL including a drink
• Dinner for two with wine at a good Tbilisi restaurant: 100–180 GEL including service charge
• Bolt ride across central Tbilisi: 8–15 GEL
• Tbilisi to Batumi train (economy seat): 15–30 GEL depending on train and class
• Marshrutka Tbilisi to Kutaisi: 15–20 GEL
• Single metro ride: 1 GEL
• Hostel dorm bed in Tbilisi: 30–50 GEL per night
• Mid-range guesthouse in Kazbegi: 150–250 GEL per night
• Museum entry (National Museum of Georgia): 15 GEL

What’s Changed Since 2024

For returning visitors or anyone relying on older guides, here’s what’s genuinely different in 2026.

Contactless bank card payment on Tbilisi public transport is the headline change. What was a partial rollout in late 2023 is now fully embedded across the metro and bus network. Tourists arriving in 2026 do not need to hunt for a Metromoney card on day one — you can tap straight through the metro gates with your Visa or Mastercard and get to your accommodation without any setup.

Apple Pay and Google Pay reliability has improved significantly. In 2024, there were still enough terminal compatibility issues to frustrate regular wallet users. By 2026, the experience is notably smoother across most city establishments.

ATM fees have edged up. The average fee for international card withdrawals has increased from the 3–4 GEL range that was common before 2024 to the 4–7 GEL range now typical in 2026. This reflects both banking cost adjustments and general inflation. The strategy of withdrawing larger amounts less frequently matters more now than it did two years ago.

Marshrutka fares have seen minor increases due to fuel and general inflation since 2024. The core routes are still affordable by any standard, but the fares cited in older blog posts and guidebooks are likely 10–20% below current rates.

Traveller’s cheques are completely obsolete in Georgia and have been for years. Don’t bring them. The Metromoney card is still available but now genuinely optional for short-stay visitors who have a contactless bank card.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the errors that come up repeatedly, drawn from the practical realities of paying your way around Georgia in 2026.

• Accepting Dynamic Currency Conversion — always pay in GEL, every time, without exception.
• Relying entirely on card in rural or mountain areas — Kazbegi town has ATMs, but smaller villages further afield do not. Tusheti has essentially no card infrastructure. Withdraw before you go remote.
• Not checking your bill for a service charge before tipping — double-tipping in a country where 15% service charge is already on the bill is a straightforward math error that adds up quickly over a trip.
• Making multiple small ATM withdrawals — each one costs you in both Georgian and home bank fees. Plan ahead and withdraw what you need for several days at once.
• Bringing only one payment method — cards get blocked, PINs are forgotten, ATMs run out of cash. Carry two cards from different banks and maintain a cash float.
• Exchanging currency at the airport or hotel — rates are meaningfully worse than at city exchange offices. Exchange the minimum needed for transport and immediate needs at the airport, then find a proper exchange office in the city.
• Using large denomination notes on marshrutkas — drivers often don’t carry much change. Carrying a 50 or 100 GEL note onto a marshrutka for a 15 GEL fare creates an awkward situation that occasionally ends with you being waved through for free or holding up the vehicle.
• Not notifying your bank before travel — a card flagged for suspicious international activity and blocked mid-trip is a genuine headache. A quick call or in-app notification to your bank before departure prevents this entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get by in Georgia using only a card, without carrying cash?

In Tbilisi and other large cities, mostly yes — but you’ll hit friction points. Marshrutkas, street markets, rural guesthouses, and many small shops are cash-only. Before heading outside major cities or into mountain regions like Kazbegi or Svaneti, always have enough cash to cover your full stay. A card-only approach will eventually strand you.

What is the best way to get Georgian Lari?

Withdraw from a TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, or Liberty Bank ATM on arrival, or bring USD or EUR cash and exchange at an independent exchange office in the city. Avoid airport exchange desks for any significant amount — their rates are noticeably worse. USD and EUR get the best exchange rates at Georgian offices.

Do Georgian restaurants include a tip in the bill?

Most restaurants add a service charge of 10–18% (commonly 15%) to the bill. This is not a tip — it goes to the establishment. If you want to tip your server, leave an additional 5–10% in cash directly with them. Always check your bill before adding anything extra to avoid paying twice.

Are ATMs widely available outside Tbilisi?

In towns like Batumi, Kutaisi, Sighnaghi, Telavi, and Kazbegi, yes. In smaller villages and remote mountain areas — Tusheti, upper Svaneti villages, parts of Racha — ATMs are scarce or absent. Withdraw what you need in the nearest large town before heading into remote areas. Running out of cash in Ushguli with no ATM nearby is an avoidable problem.

Should I use Bolt or Yango for taxis in Georgia?

Both apps work well in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi. They show the fare upfront, allow cashless card payment, and track your journey on a map. Bolt tends to have slightly broader coverage in smaller cities. Both are significantly more reliable and transparent than street-hailed taxis, where you must negotiate a cash fare before getting in. For most tourists, either app is the default choice for city transport.

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📷 Featured image by Julio Lopez on Unsplash.