Which place is cheaper, Tbilisi or Zanzibar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Zanzibar or Tbilisi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Zanzibar and Tbilisi can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Zanzibar or Tbilisi?
Zanzibar
Just off the coast of Tanzania lies an entrancing archipelago known as Zanzibar. This gorgeous string of islands is the land of sultans, palaces beaches and spice-filled markets. Once an important trading center, many restorations have been done in recent years to restore Zanzibar to its ancient grandeur - earning its capital city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital of the country of Georgia. Its cobblestoned old town reflects a long, complicated history, with periods under Persian and Russian rule. Its diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, ornate art nouveau buildings and Soviet Modernist structures. Looming over it all are Narikala, a reconstructed 4th-century fortress, and Kartlis Deda, an iconic statue of the "Mother of Georgia." Tbilisi’s eternal charms of a dramatic setting in the deep valley of the swift Mtkvari River, picturesque architecture, an ever-lively arts and cultural scene, and the welcoming Georgian lifestyle have been added a whole new 21st-century dimension of inviting cafes and restaurants serving ever better food, up-to-date lodgings from backpacker hostels to international five-stars, interesting bars and clubs, spruced-up museums, galleries, parks, plazas and whole streets, modernized transport and a sprinkling of eye-catching contemporary architecture. The mix of modern and ancient elements makes Tbilisi the beating heart of the South Caucasus and it is well worth a visit.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Tanzania, and The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $52Tbilisi $29
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $52, while the average daily cost in Tbilisi is $29. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Zanzibar and Tbilisi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZanzibar $25Tbilisi $13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $50Tbilisi $26
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Tbilisi
Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar or Tbilisi? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Zanzibar Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zanzibar $11Tbilisi $6.20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- Zanzibar:Prison Island,Nakupenda Sandbank Tour with transfer: $141
- Zanzibar:Hotels & Airport Transfer Services: $50
- Stone Town to Airport Private Transfer: $23
- Splash Transfer: $60
- Safari blue tour with Lunch and Transfers: $180
- Private Airport Transfer: $50
- Jozani Forest and Spice Farm Tour With Transfer: $110
- Island Transfers: $50
- Fishing Boat Tour with Transfer: $109
- Baraka Turtle Aquarium Tour with Hotel Transfers: $80
- Airport_Hotel and Destination Transfer Service: $29
- Airport/Port&Hotel transfer service: $58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tbilisi
Also for Tbilisi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 24/7 Taxi Airport Shuttle and Transfer Private Service: $14
- 3-Day Tbilisi & Mtskheta Discovery + Airport Transfers: $159
- 4 Days Private Tour in Georgia With Free Airport Transfers: $237
- Airport transfer by Visit-geo: $16
- Arrival Private Transfer from Tbilisi Airport to Tbilisi Hotel : $41
- Batumi airport: Bus Transfer to/from Tbilisi: $16
- Comfortable transfer from Tbilisi Airport: $53
- Comfortable,fast and safe private transfer from airport: $30
- From Transfer to Gudauri Ski Resort: $53
- From Tbilisi:Private Transfer service To Batumi: $240
- From Tbilisi:Private Transfer service To Gudauri Or Kazbegi: $120
- GEORGIA Intercity Transfers and Shuttle Service: $140
Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Tbilisi?
Prices for flights to both Tbilisi and Zanzibar change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayZanzibar $17Tbilisi $8.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class: $49
- Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour: $59
- Zanzibar Spice farm and Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Tour & Cooking Class in Zanzibar: $60
- Local Cooking Class with Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $60
- Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Farm tour & Local cooking lesson with Lunch: $64
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $65
- Stone Town Private Food Tour with a Guide: $65
- Traditional Zanzibar Cooking Class including Spice Tour: $68
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $77
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tbilisi
For Tbilisi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Natural Wine Degustation and Tasting with Georgian Dinner Option: $20
- Georgian Cooking Class with Khinkali and Khachapuri: $25
- Middle East Evening with Live Singers and Dinner in Tbilisi: $40
- Adjarian Khachapuri Making Private Virtual Cooking Class: $40
- Traveling Spoon Georgian Dumplings Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Cooking Class with a Local Family: $49
- Tbilisi Street Food Tour: $70
- Tbilisi Street Food Tour: $72
- Taste of Georgia. Cooking-Class Khinkali, Khachapuri and more: $75
- Vegetarian Georgian Cooking Class: $78
- Food Tour with 9 Tastings and Wine: $88
- Full Day Tbilisi Tour with Cooking Class & Wine Tasting Activity: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Tbilisi $15
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4 hours Spice Tour in Tanzania: $80
- Fair Tourism In Paje: $27
- Full Day Spice Tour, Prison Island and City Tours: $140
- Half-Day Walking Tour in Zanzibar City's Spice Island: $63
- Stonetown Private Half-day Walking Tour: $35
- Zanzibar Spice Tour : $47
- 10 DAYS MOSHI TO ZANZIBAR BIKE TOUR: $4,286
- 2 Hours Private Stone Town City Tour: $50
- 2day Zanzibar adventure: Prison Island & Sandbank (all-incl): $533
- 3 Hours Private Stone Town Walking Tour : $30
- 3-Day Selous Game Reserve Safari & Cultural tour with Flight: $1,345
- 3h Stonetown walking tour (zanzibar): $30
Tours and Activities in Tbilisi
For Tbilisi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Rustaveli Avenue: Roam down Tbilisi's historic main street on an audio tour: $5.20
- Skip the Line: Experimentorium Ticket: $5.45
- Virtual tour to Georgia: $10
- Private 4 days Food & Wine and Sightseeing tour to Kakheti, Kazbegi, Mtskheta.: $10
- First impression of Tbilisi-3 hours walking tour: $11
- Walking Tour in Old Tbilisi - Group Tour: $12
- Exploring Tbilisi Walking Tour: $12
- Highlands Tour: Kazbegi, Ananuri, Gudauri, and Zhinvali: $12
- One Day Expedition Tour in Kazbegi Mountains: $13
- Afternoon Walking tour of Old Town: $13
- Guided Half Day Walking Tour of Old Tbilisi: $13
- Tbilisi Guided Walking Tour: $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.91Tbilisi $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Zanzibar
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Zanzibar:
- Pub Crawl & Club Experience: $30
Sample the Local Flavors in Tbilisi
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tbilisi:
- 3 Hours Walk Around Wine Tasting of 12 Different Wines in Tbilisi: $10
- Tbilisi.First impression of Tbilisi-evening walking,wine tasting: $11
- One-day tour of Kakheti from Tbilisi, free wine tasting: $14
- Wine Tasting Feel the Difference of Qvevri or Classical Wine: $16
- Full Day Wine Tour Bodbe , Sighnaghi , Telavi: $16
- Kakheti Day Group Tour: Free Wine Tasting: $17
- Kakheti Wine Tour, Кахетия -Винный Тур: $19
- From Tbilisi:Kakheti-Sighnaghi&Chateau 7Wine Tasting Tour: $21
- Kakheti, Signaghi, & Chateau Tour with Wine Tasting: $21
- From Kakheti Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting: $24
- City Pub Crawl with welcome shots in game format: $24
- Tbilisi City Pub Crawl: $26
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zanzibar and Tbilisi, we can see that Zanzibar is more expensive. And not only is Tbilisi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zanzibar is in Africa and Tbilisi is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Tbilisi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tbilisi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Zanzibar would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Zanzibar than you might in Tbilisi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zanzibar Expensive? and Is Tbilisi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Tbilisi?
Tbilisi has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar and Tbilisi, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.