Tbilisi Ranks 211th Globally in Quality of Life

As of May 13, 2025, Tbilisi ranks 211th out of 256 cities in Numbeo’s global Quality of Life Index. This ranking highlights that Georgia’s capital still has significant room for improvement in both infrastructure and overall living standards. With a quality of life score of 120.1, Tbilisi ranks 92nd among 101 European cities, indicating that it lags behind most of its continental peers.

European cities continue to dominate the top of the index. Luxembourg City leads with a score of 234, followed by The Hague (232.2) and Groningen (228.6) in the Netherlands. The top 16 positions are exclusively held by European cities, underscoring the continent’s strong urban development, resilient infrastructure, and effective social support systems.

Tbilisi’s neighbors occupy similar positions: Moscow is ranked 189th (131.5), Baku 214th (117.1), and Yerevan 218th (114.3). This suggests that the South Caucasus region as a whole trails behind global urban centers in terms of quality of life, though Moscow and Baku slightly outperform Tbilisi.

Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index is a composite score derived from multiple factors: purchasing power, pollution, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, healthcare quality, average commute times, and climate. Together, these indicators reflect the overall living conditions in a given city.

Cities that top the ranking generally belong to countries with well-balanced social policies, advanced urban infrastructure, and a strong connection to the natural environment. For instance, Brisbane ranks 17th and is the highest-ranking non-European city on the list, though it too is part of a highly developed economy.

At the bottom of the index are cities such as Lagos, Nigeria (6.5), Manila (62.4), Dhaka, Tehran, and Colombo—places typically characterized by severe infrastructure and environmental issues, poverty, and unstable public safety conditions.

Tbilisi’s low placement points to pressing urban challenges requiring immediate attention: improved public transportation, higher housing standards, better environmental conditions, and, critically, greater affordability for a broader segment of the population. Without addressing these issues, the city’s long-term potential as a cultural and tourism hub may be significantly constrained.