The Georgian Lari (GEL) Demystified: Denominations & Everyday Use

💰 Click here to see Georgia Budget Breakdown

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

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = ₾2.70

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: ₾80.00 – ₾160.00 ($29.63 – $59.26)

Mid-range: ₾160.00 – ₾380.00 ($59.26 – $140.74)

Comfortable: ₾600.00 – ₾1,000.00 ($222.22 – $370.37)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: ₾20.00 – ₾40.00 ($7.41 – $14.81)

Mid-range hotel: ₾110.00 – ₾220.00 ($40.74 – $81.48)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: ₾20.00 ($7.41)

Mid-range meal: ₾45.00 ($16.67)

Upscale meal: ₾90.00 ($33.33)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: ₾1.00 ($0.37)

Monthly transport pass: ₾40.00 ($14.81)

Georgia’s payment landscape in 2026 sits in an interesting middle ground — modern enough that you can tap your phone at a Tbilisi supermarket checkout, old-school enough that a marshrutka driver in Gori will stare blankly if you wave a card at him. Most first-time visitors arrive underprepared: they pull out a single 100 GEL note at a village bakery, get no change, and spend the next hour hunting for a cashier who can break it. A few minutes understanding how the Georgian lari works — what it looks like, where it’s accepted, and where you absolutely need coins in your pocket — will save you real frustration.

What the Georgian Lari Actually Looks Like

The Georgian lari (GEL) has been the country’s official currency since 1995, issued by the National Bank of Georgia. The subunit is the tetri — 100 tetri make one lari, much like cents to a dollar or euro.

Banknotes

GEL banknotes come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 lari. The current series, introduced from 2016 onwards, features sophisticated security elements: colour-shifting ink, watermarks, raised print you can feel with your fingernail, and UV-reactive threads. Each note carries a prominent Georgian historical or cultural figure — look for poet Shota Rustaveli on the 20 GEL and Queen Tamar on the 50 GEL.

In practice by 2026, the 1 GEL and 2 GEL banknotes are uncommon. They’re still legal tender, but most Georgians use coins for those values. The notes you’ll handle daily are the 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 GEL. The 200 GEL note exists but you’ll rarely see one outside a bank — most vendors would rather not deal with it.

Coins

Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 tetri, plus 1 and 2 lari coins. The 1 and 2 lari coins are chunky, bimetallic pieces — silver-coloured centre with a gold-coloured ring — and you’ll use them constantly. They’re essential for the metro, for small market purchases, for church candle donations, and for any situation where handing over a 10 GEL note for a 1.50 GEL purchase would cause visible irritation.

Get into the habit of never spending your coins. Let them accumulate in a pocket or small zip pouch. When you’re standing in a Tbilisi metro station at rush hour and the turnstile is beeping, having the right coins ready feels like genuine competence.

Where Card Payments Work — and Where They Don’t

By 2026, Georgia’s urban payment infrastructure is genuinely impressive. Walk into almost any supermarket, chain pharmacy, hotel, sit-down restaurant, or petrol station in Tbilisi, Batumi, or Kutaisi and you’ll see a modern NFC-capable POS terminal on the counter. The four curved-lines contactless symbol is everywhere.

Cards accepted

• Visa and Mastercard — universally accepted wherever cards are taken. Debit and credit versions both work fine.
• American Express — accepted at most hotels and mid-range to upscale restaurants, but patchy at smaller shops. Don’t rely on it as your only card.
• Discover and Diners Club — rarely accepted. These should not be your primary payment method in Georgia.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay — fully functional in 2026 across Georgia. Link a compatible Visa or Mastercard and you can tap your phone at any NFC terminal. Younger Georgians use this constantly.

Where cards don’t work

The honest answer is: anywhere outside city centres you should assume cash is needed until proven otherwise. Small family-run guesthouses in Svaneti, roadside khinkali spots near Mtskheta, village bakeries, farmers’ market stalls in any town, petrol stations in remote mountain areas, and almost all marshrutka services are cash-only operations. The independent ownership structure of most small Georgian businesses means card infrastructure simply hasn’t been worth installing.

Since 2024, the number of cash-only establishments in cities has dropped noticeably, but rural Georgia remains firmly in cash territory. If your itinerary includes Kazbegi, Tusheti, or the Upper Svaneti villages beyond Mestia, carry enough GEL to cover three to four days of accommodation, food, and transport before you see another reliable ATM.

Using ATMs in Georgia

Cash withdrawal is straightforward in any Georgian city or sizeable town. The three networks to look for are TBC Bank (blue and white branding, tbcbank.ge), Bank of Georgia (red and white, bankofgeorgia.ge), and Liberty Bank (green and white, libertybank.ge). Liberty Bank has the widest rural footprint and is often co-located with post offices in smaller towns — useful if you’re heading off the main tourist trail.

Fees to expect

Georgian banks charge international cardholders a local ATM fee, typically in the range of 2 to 5 GEL per transaction, or between 1% and 3% of the withdrawn amount — whichever the bank applies. This fee is displayed on screen before you confirm, so you can always cancel without being charged. Your own home bank will likely add its own foreign transaction or out-of-network fee on top. Before you travel, check your bank’s fee schedule — some cards (Wise, Revolut, and certain travel-specific debit cards) waive or reduce these charges significantly.

Daily withdrawal limits for international cards at Georgian ATMs typically fall between 500 and 1,500 GEL, though this varies by ATM and by the limits your home bank sets on your card.

The Dynamic Currency Conversion trap

This is the single most important ATM rule in Georgia. When you insert a foreign card, the ATM will often ask whether you want to be charged in your home currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.) or in GEL. This is Dynamic Currency Conversion, and it is a money trap. The exchange rate applied to DCC is almost always significantly worse than your bank’s wholesale rate. Always choose GEL. The option is usually phrased as “without conversion” or “continue in local currency.” Selecting your home currency feels intuitive but costs you real money.

Step-by-step ATM withdrawal for international cards

1. Insert your card and select English from the language menu.
2. Enter your 4-digit PIN.
3. Select “Withdrawal” or “Cash Withdrawal.”
4. Choose account type — “Savings” or “Checking” for debit cards, “Credit” for credit cards.
5. Enter the amount you want in GEL.
6. Review the fee notice displayed on screen.
7. When the DCC screen appears, select “Without conversion” or “In GEL.”
8. Confirm the transaction.
9. Collect cash first, then card, then receipt.

Use ATMs inside bank branches or inside shopping centres where possible. Covered, well-lit, and staffed environments significantly reduce any risk of card skimming. Cover your PIN entry with your other hand — a habit worth keeping everywhere.

Currency Exchange in Georgia

Georgia has a well-developed street-level exchange ecosystem. The places you’ll see labelled “Exchange” or displaying “ვალუტის გაცვლა” (valutis gatsvla) in Georgian script are private exchange offices called sanagekh in local usage. They’re found in city centres, near major markets, at bus stations, and at land border crossings.

Exchange offices vs banks

For common currencies — US dollars (USD) and euros (EUR) — dedicated exchange offices routinely offer better rates than bank branches and charge no commission. They also operate longer hours, often well into the evening and sometimes around the clock in tourist-heavy districts of Tbilisi. Banks (TBC, Bank of Georgia, Liberty) are reliable and regulated but their rates are typically slightly less competitive. For larger transactions or less common currencies, a bank branch is the safer choice, and you may need to show your passport.

What to bring

USD and EUR are the easiest currencies to exchange across Georgia — good rates, universally accepted at all exchange offices. GBP is exchangeable in Tbilisi and Batumi without trouble. Most other currencies should only be relied upon in major Tbilisi branches. If you’re arriving from Turkey, Turkish lira can be exchanged at border crossings and in Batumi, where there’s active cross-border trade.

Checking rates and avoiding scams

Exchange offices display electronic rate boards showing “ყიდვა” (buy) and “გაყიდვა” (sell) rates. The relevant figure when you’re converting foreign currency to GEL is the buy rate — that’s what the office will pay for your dollars or euros. Compare two or three offices before exchanging any significant amount. The difference between the best and worst office on the same street can be 0.05 to 0.10 GEL per dollar, which adds up.

Before handing over your cash, always confirm the total amount of GEL you’ll receive. Count it at the counter before walking away. If an office is offering a rate that seems noticeably better than everyone else nearby, ask about commissions — some boards obscure a fee in the small print. By 2026, National Bank of Georgia oversight of exchange offices has become more stringent, reducing (though not eliminating) unregulated informal exchange points. Stick to well-lit, busy offices and you’ll be fine.

Paying for Transport in Georgia

How you pay depends almost entirely on which form of transport you’re using. Getting this wrong means either scrambling for cash on a moving vehicle or holding up a queue at a metro turnstile.

Marshrutka minibuses

Intercity and many local marshrutka (მარშრუტკა) services operate on a cash-only basis in 2026. The independent ownership model of these minibuses — each driver running their own vehicle — makes card infrastructure essentially non-existent. Pay the driver directly when boarding or on arrival at your destination. Fares are low (intercity routes typically 5–20 GEL depending on distance) but drivers often don’t carry much change. Carry exact or near-exact amounts in 5 and 10 GEL notes.

Georgian Railway

Train tickets can be purchased online at railway.ge, at station ticket windows, or through authorised agents. Visa and Mastercard are accepted both online and at station counters. Cash is also accepted at ticket offices. The Tbilisi–Batumi sleeper service and the day trains to Kutaisi are popular with visitors — book online 24–48 hours ahead during peak summer season, as seats sell out.

Tbilisi metro and city buses

The Tbilisi metro uses a smart card called the MetroMoney card (Metromani). Buy one at any metro station entrance for a small deposit and top it up with GEL at station machines. The fare in Tbilisi by 2026 sits at 1 GEL per ride. Significantly for visitors, contactless bank cards (Visa and Mastercard) are now accepted directly at metro turnstiles and bus validators — tap your card or phone and the fare is deducted automatically. This makes it genuinely convenient to use public transport without queuing for a smart card first.

The smell of slightly warm rubber and recycled air in a Tbilisi metro carriage at morning rush hour is oddly pleasant — these are Soviet-era deep stations, ornate and clean, and the system runs reliably. Batumi operates a similar contactless-compatible bus payment system.

Taxis

Street-hailed taxis in Georgia operate on negotiated fares paid in cash. Agree on the price before you get in. App-based rides via Bolt and Yandex Go offer both in-app card payment and cash options, with transparent pricing. For most city journeys, Bolt or Yandex Go will give you a fairer price than a negotiated street taxi, especially around Tbilisi’s tourist areas.

Tipping in Georgia

Tipping isn’t as automatic as in North America, but it’s genuinely appreciated and increasingly expected in tourist-facing businesses.

Restaurants

Many restaurants in Tbilisi, Batumi, and popular tourist spots automatically add a 10% service charge to the bill. This appears on the receipt as “მომსახურების საკომისიო” (momsakhurebis sakomisio). If it’s already there, you don’t need to add more — though an extra coin or two for outstanding service is always welcome. If there’s no service charge on the bill, leaving 10% is appropriate. Leave cash tips directly with the server rather than adding to a card payment — card tip processing varies between venues and doesn’t always reach the person who served you.

Taxis and ride-hailing

For street taxis, rounding up to the nearest GEL or adding 1–2 GEL on a short ride is the norm. Bolt and Yandex Go both have in-app tipping functions. For a longer journey or genuinely good service, 5 GEL is a generous tip.

Tour guides and hotel staff

Private tour guides doing a full day’s work in 2026 typically receive 20–50 GEL per day from individual travellers. For group tours, 5–10 GEL per person per day is standard. Hotel bellhops and housekeeping staff appreciate 2–5 GEL left in cash. Barbers and hairdressers: round up or add 5–10% of the service cost.

2026 Budget Reality: What Things Actually Cost in GEL

To give these payment details context, here’s what you’re actually spending your lari on in 2026.

Daily cash needs by tier

• Budget traveller — hostel dorm, self-catering and market lunches, public transport: roughly 60–90 GEL per day in cash-dependent spending. Accommodation and some meals may be card-payable on top of this.
• Mid-range traveller — guesthouse or 3-star hotel, sit-down restaurants with wine, occasional taxi: 150–250 GEL per day in combined spending. Most of this is card-payable in Tbilisi and Batumi, but keep 50–80 GEL cash available daily.
• Comfortable traveller — boutique hotel, quality restaurants, private transfers: 350–600+ GEL per day. Cards cover the majority of this in cities. For regional travel, have 100–150 GEL cash available.

Specific price reference points (2026)

• Tbilisi metro or bus ride: 1 GEL
• Marshrutka Tbilisi to Mtskheta: approximately 1.50–2 GEL
• Marshrutka Tbilisi to Gori: approximately 5–7 GEL
• Cup of coffee at a Tbilisi café: 5–8 GEL
• Plate of khinkali (8 dumplings) at a mid-range restaurant: 12–18 GEL
• Half-litre of local beer: 7–12 GEL
• Guesthouse in Kazbegi (per night, per room): 80–200 GEL depending on season
• Bolt taxi across central Tbilisi: 8–15 GEL
• ATM withdrawal fee (international card): 2–5 GEL or 1–3%

Carry a recommended daily float of 50–100 GEL in small denominations regardless of how card-friendly your planned day looks. You’ll find a use for it.

Common Money Mistakes Visitors Make in Georgia

These errors come up repeatedly — knowing them in advance costs you nothing.

• Arriving with only large notes. A 200 GEL or 100 GEL note is essentially useless at a market stall or in a village shop. Break large notes at a supermarket checkout or petrol station as soon as you can.
• Accepting Dynamic Currency Conversion. Covered above, but worth repeating — always choose GEL at ATMs and card terminals. When a POS terminal asks if you want to pay in your home currency, decline.
• Not telling your home bank about travel plans. A Georgian ATM or point-of-sale transaction can trigger fraud alerts that freeze your card. Contact your bank before you travel, either by phone or through their app’s travel notification feature.
• Going to mountain regions with no cash reserve. ATMs in Kazbegi town work, but Stepantsminda has limited machines and queues can form on busy weekends. Svaneti villages beyond Mestia may have no ATM at all. Head into the mountains with enough GEL for your full stay plus a buffer.
• Exchanging at the airport. Tbilisi’s Shota Rustaveli International Airport exchange offices typically offer rates noticeably below the city-centre average. Take just enough from the airport to get to your accommodation, then exchange the bulk of your cash in the city.
• Ignoring tetri coins. Dismissing small coins as useless and leaving them in your hotel room means you’ll constantly be asking for change and getting refused. Georgian small vendors operate on thin margins and genuinely cannot always break notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use US dollars or euros directly in Georgia without exchanging them?

Occasionally a guesthouse or tour operator will quote prices in USD or EUR and accept direct payment, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most everyday vendors — shops, restaurants, transport — deal only in GEL. Exchange your foreign currency as soon as you arrive to avoid being caught without local currency.

Are there any Georgian banks that offer better ATM rates for international cards?

The ATM fee structure is broadly similar across TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, and Liberty Bank — typically 2 to 5 GEL or 1–3% per international withdrawal. The bigger variable is your own bank’s foreign transaction fee. Cards from Wise, Revolut, and some travel-focused debit accounts reduce or eliminate these charges on your end, which has more impact than which Georgian ATM you use.

Is it safe to carry cash in Georgia?

Georgia is a low-crime country by European standards, and pickpocketing is far less common than in many Western European capitals. Normal precautions apply — use a front pocket or internal bag pocket in crowded areas like Tbilisi’s Dry Bridge market or busy metro stations. Carrying 50–100 GEL for daily expenses is perfectly normal and safe.

Do Georgian merchants ever charge extra for card payments?

This was more common before 2024 but has largely disappeared in established businesses. A minority of very small vendors may still prefer cash and might informally offer a small discount for it. If a business tries to add a surcharge for card payments without prior notice, you’re within your rights to question it — it’s not standard practice among reputable establishments.

What should I do if my card is lost or stolen in Georgia?

Contact your home bank’s international emergency number immediately to block the card — keep this number saved in your phone before you travel, separate from your wallet. Georgia’s emergency number for police is 112. TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia both have 24-hour customer service lines for cardholders who have Georgian bank accounts, but for international cards, your own bank is your first call.

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📷 Featured image by OhTilly on Unsplash.