Tbilisi, Georgia Report of what it's like to live there - 08/06/24
Personal Experiences from Tbilisi, Georgia
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No. I have also lived in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Washington, DC. There are no direct flights and getting there can be quite long. Flights mostly leave from Tbilisi in the really early hours of the morning. I recommend avoiding Georgian Airways at all costs. The conditions are quite bad and in my opinion, the aircraft look questionable.
Be prepared for complete chaos when you try to fly out, or when you get to the flight that goes to Tbilisi. People don't make lines, there is a lot of pushing and once the aircraft's wheels touch the ground, the people at the back of the plane rush forward to get as close to the door as possible. I have heard that several people in our embassy reporting having items taken from them during this point in the flight.
3. How long have you lived here?
Three years.
4. What years did you live here?
2021-2024
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
There are several options for housing for diplomats. One area which is similar to a gated community, regular house living and apartments in the city. Housing was generally good.
The apartments are very big and located in the city with plenty of restaurants and activities nearby. The downside to living downtown if you have to commute to your workplace by car. Driving in Tbilisi is absolutely atrocious and dangerous. Generally people do not follow traffic laws and are inconsiderate at best. It's my understanding that they don't have car insurance, they drive very aggressively, fast and recklessly, and I've heard of many cases of road rage in the community.
Your commute, depending on where you are going can be hours and even if it's relatively close, the trip will not be short and filled with plenty of near misses and usually road rage. Police generally don't seem to enforce any traffic laws, but it could be difficult anyway as if there are lanes, they are not respected, stop signs don't exist in many four-way stop intersections, and the older generation usually paid a bribe to get their license rather than learn traffic rules.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Cost of groceries for simple things like local bread and cheese, but if you buy remotely western products, even those made in Georgia, it can be as expensive as the U.S. You can find anything you want here though, unless you have particular brands that you like. Produce is incredibly good here, however it is not cheap which was surprising.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Sparkling water that was not mineral water.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
For a modern capital, the restaurant options are not fantastic. There are some really good places, but they are expensive and not plentiful. If you like Asian food, you will be said as the choices are minimal and of those that exist, they are generally not good.
Delivery is extremely popular and convenient here. I would recommend getting everything delivered, including groceries, household items, and even glassware if you break something. Anything you can do to stay off the roads is good. You will lose hours of your free time going anywhere to get anything, so best to pay the deliver fees and have someone else deal with the stress and time of driving in Tbilisi. The deliver apps are Glovo and Wolt. There are a few others, but generally these are the most widely used.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
No.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Diplomatic post. I have used local post to send packages to Europe and it works fine.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help is plentiful, but I recommend going outside of the embassy pool as there is a "nanny mafia". They overcharge Americans and fight amongst one another if they find out that someone new is offering lower prices. The most ideal situation is get someone local to find someone for you, so you don't get foreigner prices. The challenge is that you have to either speak Georgian or Russian to communicate with them.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are lots of gyms, but they are really expensive.
4. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
It is generally safe, but there are some neighborhoods that can be unsafe. I would not run in the streets here because of the aforementioned driving.
I would not hike alone as a female in Mtatsminda park, or frankly anywhere. There have been attacks on females in that other parks with secluded wooded areas. Some Georgian males can also be quite aggressive with their advances. Western women can be offended or afraid when this occurs. At one point there was an all-female taxi driver start-up because the problem of male taxi drivers harassing women was so bad.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes. You can even use a credit card for very small purchases. ATMs were fine. We never had any issue.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Younger Georgians generally know some English. It's more common for older people to speak Russian. I would recommend trying to learn basics in one of these languages, but generally you can get by with English along with grunting and pointing at what you need.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
I can't imagine how they could live here.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
There is a metro, but I never rode it. I heard it was fine. Taxis are everywhere and affordable. I wouldn't say they are safe because nothing on the road is safe. Just make sure to check for seatbelts because Georgians rarely use them, not even for their children who are frequently standing in cars and hanging out of windows and sunroofs. I recommend using the Bolt app. That way there is at least accountability of who your driver was. Also, using the app, you know the cost of your ride.
There is also a system of minibuses, but they are not safe, especially outside of Tbilisi.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Do not take a car you care about in any way; take an absolute beater or a tank. It's literally demolition derby in the city. I would recommend bringing some type of four-wheel drive for exploring. Georgia has really amazing nature and it's a must for navigating to some of these amazing places.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Internet is available and fast.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Get a local phone. It's cheap and works well.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No. In my opinion, veterinarians here are really bad. There are two places that are okay, but I would try to get out of here to do anything with your pet or your own physical health. There are lots of CDC rules about taking your dog back to the U.S. from here.
Pet owners are generally aggressive with their dogs, so the dogs are generally aggressive. There are lots of people with fighting dog breeds and a single, aggressive, fighting dog will take up the whole dog park while the owner chats with friends for hours. There are thousands of street dogs here and they are everywhere. Oddly enough, the ones in the city are fairly friendly and docile. The ones outside the city center are more aggressive as they have territories and are less accustomed to seeing other dogs and humans. You will likely not be able to walk your dog anywhere unless you live downtown in the city center.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
There lots of Russian digital nomads here. It seems to be a friendly place for digital nomads. I'm not sure about working on the local economy. The salaries are quite low.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Many volunteer in dog rescue operations because of the massive problem with strays.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Georgians dress up and down. You can do either quite easily.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
The aforementioned problem with vehicles. I cannot stress enough how bad driving here is and how dangerous it is. Luckily, traffic is not going very fast which makes the extremely common accidents survivable. Don't let that statement confuse you though, there are tons of fatal accidents. The ministry of interior puts out statistics on this which are available online.
I can tell you this fact which may be helpful. In 2023, the amount of automated traffic tickets issued in Georgia was twice the population. Meaning, every person in Georgia, to include children and people too old to drive and those with no car, had two traffic tickets. Keep in mind that these were automated tickets, and only those violations that were caught.
Political violence is also quite common in Georgia, however if you stay out of their politics and demonstrations, the risk is not high.
There are conflicts among Georgians and Russians, but generally Georgia is safe. Unless you are from the LGBT community. This is not a safe place.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care here is like veterinarians. Generally it is not great. I would leave if I had any sort of serious medical issue. Especially if it involved surgery in any way. I think all the embassies medevac for serious medical issues.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
There are air quality problems in downtown Tbilisi because of the landscape and traffic. It can get as bad as New Delhi, but I never noticed it physically. I was in Mexico City which was noticeably bad.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Seasonal allergies are common.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
None.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
All four seasons. The summer can get hot fast and winter cold fast, however it's generally good.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There is an international school. I did not have kids.
2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Nannies and day care are certainly available.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
There are lots of expats from embassies and NGO community. Morale seems fine although it has become worse in the last year due to democratic backsliding by the government of Georgia and their attacks on civil society and NGOs. The government is casting all NGOs and aid workers as spies and agents of influence and led relentless smear campaigns against them.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Georgians tend to go to a lot of "Supras", which are very large dinner parties at restaurants. You have to be invited though, so you will need to get to know a local first.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
I think western singles have a tough time here as Georgia is a very conservative country and dating is not like in the west. For couples it is a great city, and also for families.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
It's not hard to make friends.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. Georgians are generally not tolerant of LGBT people or even the idea, and that is generally true even amongst the opposition to the current government. Georgian society is quite intolerant of the issue. There are frequent physical attacks on members of the LGBT community.
Every year, far right groups carry out acts of violence on the community during Pride week. One year, a member of these groups set himself on fire and died in order to protest Pride week. The government is not responsive to attacks on the LGBT community by these groups and the government frequently makes anti-LGBT statements openly and publicly.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
There are challenges with gender equality and from time to time there are problems between Muslims and Christians, but it is not usually significant.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The nature is here is incredible and diverse. It is really a wonderful place to explore and spend time outside. Mountains, forests, falls, rivers, the sea, highlands, lowlands, plains, prairies and even quasi jungle. Georgia has it all.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
There are lots of hidden gems, but one needs to know a local in order to find them.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Yes. There are lots of handmade crafts that are unique and gorgeous.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Nothing in particular.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Do not take a nice car.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Understanding of the rule of law.
4. But don't forget your:
four wheel drive.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Tangerine.
